Taco Pasta!

My family are big taco eaters. They love it. So, when I saw this recipe over on Pinterest, and thought it looked good, I knew it would be one to try out on the family. Its called taco pasta.

Ingredients:1lb ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
1 4 once package cream cheese
12 large pasta shells
1 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 cup Monterey jack cheese (shredded)
1 ½ cups tortilla chips (crushed)
3 green onions (chopped)
1 cup sour cream
 

Step 1: In a fry pan cook ground beef and add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and allow to fully cool. While burger is cooking cook the pasta shells, drain and toss well with butter.
Step 2:  Pour salsa in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Step 3: Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place the stuffed shells in the baking dish and cover the tops of the shells with taco sauce.
Step 4: Cover and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Step 5: After 30 minutes, uncover, and sprinkle crushed chips and shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses on top.  Cook for about 15 more minutes. Serve with sour cream, additional salsa, black olives or whatever you think goes good with tacos!

My family LOVED this recipe and requested it be put into a regular monthly rotation.

Recipe from here.

And if you haven't discovered Pinterest yet....you need to. But warning.....addictive!

Yummy!

I have been busy this morning.

Making.

Baking.

Stirring the pot with good stuff....

Strawberry Bread for kids after school snack

My Homemade Salsa

cutting and chopping....

Salting and draining.
Cucumbers for marinated salad tonight.
It's one of the kids favorites.
I salt my cucumbers and allow them to drain the water on paper towels on a cookie sheet before I prepare them in my marinade.
This keeps from watering down the marinade.

I just LOVE cilantro!
I love the smell!
I love it in my salsa.
In salads.
And in so many of my recipes.

All of which I will be sharing really soon!

What are you making, baking, stirring and chopping today?

Manly Man's Sandwich

For lunch yesterday I made the fam a Manly Man's sandwich. You know, one with lots of meat and gravy and cheese. And the kids were pretty pleased with it too.


Seasoning we will use:

Gravy with onions (or not, your preference), season salt, lemon pepper, Tabasco (to taste), Worcestershire (about 2 tsp...or 8 if you are related to me!), and a meat marinade (2-3 tsp). Garlic (to taste.)

Begin with cubed steak. I cut it into 1 inch strips, going against the grain.
When you have all of your steak cubed, line steak your pan in a single layer.
Season your meat as it cooks in the pan.

For me, it takes two separate cooking of the meats.

Allow the meat to cook about 1-2 minutes per side, and transfer to another plate and do the remainder of the meat.

 While the meat is cooking add in some minced garlic. We LOVE minced garlic! We use it in just about EVERYTHING!!!

And this dish is no different.
I add in about a tsp per skillet.

After meat has coked on each side about a minute or 2, then
add in the gravy with onions to the pan and allow the meat to finish off cooking.
This will take about a minute.

While meat is in it's final stages of cooking, grill your sub rolls. Begin by adding about 2 Tbsp butter to your griddle. And allow it to melt and bubble up..

I use these subrolls, but you can use whatever bread you prefer. These hold up nicely to the filling of the sandwich.

Now, Split the subroll in half and leave it there to get crisp and brown in the pan. You want your bread happy. Like a summer tan.  It will take a few minutes.

After bread is nicely golden brown, add some cheese if you want.
We prefer Swiss on this sandwich.

Now spoon the meat onto the sandwich bread...

It makes for the perfect marriage.

Big Daddy is a happy man!

Angel Chicken

This is a dish that pleases even the most picky eaters in my family. It is much like chicken alfredo.
What You Need

4oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, softened
1can (10-3/4 oz.) reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4cup Kraft Tuscan House Italian Dressing and Marinade
1/4cup dry white wine
1-1/2lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2lb. angel hair pasta, uncooked
2Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Make It
BEAT first 4 ingredients with whisk until well blended;

pour over chicken in slow cooker.

(how I love the invention of the slow cooker liner!)

And even though the recipe didn't call for it, I am going to squeeze in some lemon, for freshness!

Cook on LOW 4 to 5 hours (or on HIGH 2 to 3 hours).
COOK pasta as directed on package; drain. Serve topped with chicken mixture and parsley.
Enjoy!

 

Creamy Chicken Soup

Recently, while at the cabin, my cousin Elaine served up Creamy Chicken Soup. It is a recipe that was given to her by a friend, Barbara White who is battling cancer. This is a soup that can almost cure anything that ailes you, so Elaine made it in honor of her friend who gave her the recipe.

It was kid approved. Which is HUGE with the inclusion of one Sister Sledge in the decision making. That kid is PICKY!

(Pictured L to R: Sister Sledge and her friend T-Mac)

Sister Sledge ate about four -five bowls throughout the day.

Barbara's Recipe for Creamy Chicken Soup....in honor of Barbara.

Such an easy recipe, for such a delicious soup. The only thing I would change, and it's a personal choice.... Rotisserie Chicken rather than canned chicken (which I am not a fan). Fresh, delicious!

Prayers are lifted for your health.

Patricia's Jackolantern Cheeseball

Patricia's Cheeseball

3 Green Onion, divided
2 package 8 oz cream cheese
1 pkg cheddar cheese, shredded
c red bell pepper (chopped)
2 slices pepperoni

Combine onion & cream cheese together, mix well. Add 1 C cheddar cheese and mix into cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate 1 hour. Mold into a ball and then roll ball into more shredded cheddar, allowing it to coat ball. Stick 2 slices pepperoni for eyes. Green Onion for stem. Use remaining peppers to make nose, mouth.

Italian Style Cauliflower

Mark Twain once said: "cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with college education".


I love this recipe that is an Italian staple in many an Italian village. Served as a side dish, its a delicious accompaniment to any main dish. Its a simple, rustic dish that will leave you craving for more. Even the cauliflower hater might can be converted with this dish!


Italian Style Cauliflower

• 1 head Cauliflower, outer leaves removed
• 4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• *extra seasoning of your choice (see directions below)

Directions:

Cut the bottom of the stem off of the head of cauliflower.

Break apart the florets, into large pieces. Boil the cauliflower. for about 7-10 minutes, until fork tender.

* In a small skillet, heat the olive oil. I like to "kick up" my breadcrumbs with a lil seasoning salt, sometimes it might be Cajun seasoning, you can also try 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon dried basil, 1 pinch oregano....even Parmesan.

I use Italian seasoned crumbs, so it already is seasoned, then I sometimes add a lil somethin', somthin'. You can customize the flavor to your liking!

When the oil is hot, add breadcrumbs and brown, not leaving the skillet. It will burn if you do.

Continue to mix breadcrumbs so that the oil is absorbed into the crumbs.  I just use a fork to work it in, so there is a mutual love there. You know what I'm saying?

Now, drain the cauliflower! Then put into a serving bowl or serving plate.

Take your toasted and seasoned bread crumbs and Spoon atop the cauliflower.

And as they say in Italy...

"Mangia bene, vivi felice"

Which means, " Eat Well Live Happy" It's my philosophy too.

ENJOY!