Mexican Lasagna (Via Angela Engle)

1 pound ground beef
1 med onion chopped (I use dehydrated)
4 gloves garlic
2 cups salsa
1 10 oz can enchilada sauce
1 can (16 ounce) refried beans
1 can black beans (10 ounce) (rinsed & drained)
1 can (4 ounce) chopped green chillies
1 envelope toco seasoning (1/4 cup)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 10 ince torlillas
3 cups (12 ounces) mexican cheese (or Colby/jack)
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
Condiments: sliced ripe olives, guacamole, chopped tomatoes and sour cream, optional

1.  In a large skillet, cook beef and onions over medium heat until meat s no longer pink, add garlic, cook 1 minute longer.  Drain.  Stir in the salsa, beans, enchilada sauce, chilies, taco seasoning and pepper; Heat though.

2.  Spread 1 cup meat mixture in a greased 13x9 in baking dish.  Layer with two tortillas, a third of the remaining meat mixture and 1 cup cheese.  Repeat layers.  Top with the remaining tortilla and meat mixture.

3.  Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  Uncover; sprinkle with the remaining cheese and top with tortilla chips.

4.  Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving, Garnish with olives, guacamole, tomatoes and sour cream if desired.

Godfather's Dessert Pizza {Cinnamon Streusel}

Pizza dough (You can make your own or buy some at the store)

1 TBSP butter, melted mixed with Cinnamon

Streusel:

3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar firmly packed

6 TBSP (1/3 cup) butter

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 TBSP milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Mix together streusel ingredients with a fork, or your clean hands, then side aside.

To make pizza, pat dough into a 12 inch pizza pan that has been sprayed with oil. Perforate pizza dough with a fork (this keeps bubbles from forming), then brush with 1 TBSP melted butter. Sprinkle cinnamon all around buttered crust. Top pizza crust with streusel mix.

Bake at 460 F for 8 to 9 minutes depending on the thickness of the pizza. Mix icing ingredients until it is of a drizzle consistency. If it is too thick, then thin with a small amount of milk until you have reached your desired thinness.

When finished baking, top with icing in a circular pinwheel pattern. Cut up and enjoy!

Buttermilk Cake

This is a cake my friend Alice June brought after mom passed away:

3 Cups Flour
2 Cups Sugar
1/3-1/2 Cup Cocoa
1 tsp salt
Mix Together
Add:
2 Eggs
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 Cup Oil (or 1/3 cup applesauce and the rest oil)
Mix Together
Then:
Sprinkle 1 tsp soda on top
Pour 1 Cup Boiling Water
1 tsp Vanilla
Mix together.
Bake 350 degrees
Can be cooked in a:
Bunt Pan about 40 minutes
9x13 Pan about 35 minutes
or a Sheet Cake about 25 minutes
Just watch to make sure!

Kettle Corn

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Popcorn Salt

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. add the popcorn. When the oils sizzles, sprinkle the sugar over the kernels. Cover the pan and crank handle until the popping slows down, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and toss with the salt.

Side notes: I don't think a full 1/4 cup oil is necessary.  You can reduce the oil by almost half.  Of course, if you use the full amount it will taste great too.  :)

If you don't have a crank stove-top popper, you can use a heavy duty pan and lid. While corn is popping make sure to shake the pan.

Enjoy!!!

Uncle Andy's Punch

My Uncle Andy was a chef for United Airlines and had a catering business.  This is his awesome punch!  We served it at all 6 of our children's wedding receptions:
Mix in a 5 gal bucket (mark the 4 gallon spot)

6 pkg lemonade Cool-aid
6 cups sugar
46 oz can pineapple juice
1 bottle pine'colada
1 2 liter bottle of 7up
1/2 bag crushed ice

Mix  the first 5 ingredients with water and fill to the 4 gallon mark, then add ice and serve.

Pecan Tassies

Crust:

1 3-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup flour

Blend together; chill 1 hour.  Shape into 2 dozen 1-in. balls.  Place in ungreased 1-and-¾-in. mini muffin pan.  Press dough evenly against bottom and sides of muffin cups (using a Tart Tamper).

Filling:

1 egg

¾ cup brown sugar

1 T. melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Dash of salt

2/3 cup broken pecans

Beat together all ingredients except the pecans.  Place ½ of the pecans in the pastry-lined pans.  Pour in filling.  Top with remaining pecans.  Bake at 325 for 25 min or until filling is set.  Cool before removing from pans.  (They freeze well.)

Mary Lou's Almond Roca

3 c sugar
1 lb butter minus 2 tbsp
1 cup raw almonds cut in thirds
6 Hershey bars
finely chopped almonds

Cook butter and sugar over med high (#8 on my stove) until they are melted together, stirring constantly..  As the mixture cooks adjust the heat so that it boils constantly but doesn't burn.  Stir in the cup of almond thirds after a few minutes and keep stirring.  When the bottom of the pan begins to smoke cook for about 1 minute more.  Quickly pour onto a heavy cookie sheet (12"x18") and smooth out.  Cool and melt the Hershey bars and spread on both sides and sprinkle with finely chopped almonds!  Cool and Voila! Almond Roca!

Mexican Chicken and Rice Soup

I found this recipe on the Rachael Ray website. I made it last night and it was so yummy! It is a new favorite!

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/soup-recipes/mexican-chicken-and-rice-soup

I made small changes to the recipe:

1. I made my own rice.
2. The tomato based salsa that I bought is called Herdez (mild).
3. Instead of serving with monterey jack cheese, I used Cacique ranchero queso fresco. Buy this at Walmart or Maceys.
4. I did not add the sour cream. The queso fresco was all I needed!
5. If you boil the chicken with onion and garlic, you can use the strained chicken broth for this soup (or buy a fryer chicken and Swanson's broth for a time saver).

The avocados and the queso fresco on top were the best part of the soup!!! Don't leave them out! Oh, and this is the quickest meal ever. I had it completed by the time my rice was cooked.

"Souper" Macaroni & Cheese

3 cups cooked noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use cream of chicken soup)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon mustard
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
generous dash of pepper
french fried onions


Combine all ingredients and put in a casserole dish a bake at 350 for 45 minutes {put the french fried onions for the last five minutes}

Quick Fix: combine all ingredients in a large microwave safe bowl. Nuke for 2 minutes, stir, nuke for 2 minutes, stir, continue until it's all uniform, hot and melted.

It tastes better the next day as leftovers!

Spinach salad and award winning dressing

SPINACH SALAD (Served at the high priest dinner November 4, 2011).

Marinade for spinach salad:

1 ½ tsp. poppy seeds

¾ cup apple cider vinegar

¾ cup vegetable oil

½ cup sugar

1 ½ tsp finely chopped red onion

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp cottage cheese

Mix together; it has to be stirred constantly while putting on the salad because it separates very fast.  This makes 1 pint of dressing (up to 34 tbsp).  I put two tbsp on the salad at the dinner, but 1 tbsp goes pretty far.  I love this dressing on most of my salads, it is 56 calories per tbsp.

We garnished the spinach with:

Craisins

Real bacon bits

Sliced almonds

Sliced red onion

Mandarin oranges

Shredded Mozzarella cheese

(You can use any yummy thing you have in your pantry).

Kathy Perrins (adapted from Linda Bergeson)