Chicken Tortilla Casserole

This has been adapted from Trisha Yearwood's, to accommodate my "open and dump" time frame in which to make dinner!

This recipe works great for those of you that have left over chicken, or chicken that you precook, and shred to put in your freezer.  If you are making chicken for this recipe, save 3 1/3 cups of the stock.  If using precooked chicken, used canned broth.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Start by making a roux, in a large soup pot:

*6 TBSP butter
*6 TBSP flour
*1 cup of milk
*1 cup of broth
*Salt and pepper, to taste

Melt butter, whisk in flour, stirring until golden brown.  Slowly whisk in milk and broth.  Allow to thicken.  Add salt and pepper to taste

Start adding to the pot:

*4 cooked and shredded chicken breasts
*2 1/3 cups chicken broth
*Medium onion, diced
*1 glove garlic, minced, or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
*1 small can diced green chilis
*1 can green enchilada sauce
*1 cup sour cream
*1/2 tsp cumin
*1/2 tsp salt
*1/4 tsp black pepper

Bring mixture to a boil, and let simmer, for a few minutes to incorporate flavors.

Dump mixture into large mixing bowl.  Add to the bowl:

*24 corn tortillas, cut into pieces
*1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix everything well!  This, then, becomes a consistency game.  If mixture looks too runny, add more tortilla,  if too dry, add a little more broth.

Add mixture to a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Make sure all tortillas a covered, so they don't burn. Top with shredded cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

KIMBERLY'S BANANA CRUMB MUFFINS

PART #1
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

PART #2
3 mashed bananas
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup melted butter

Mix part #1 in a large bowl
Beat part #2 together in a separate bowl
Stir banana mixture into dry mixture and then put in greased muffin tins, or cup cake paper lined muffin tins

CRUMB TOPPING
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp softened butter
Mix together in a small bowl with pastry cutter and put on top of muffins.

Bake @ 375 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean.
This topping can be used on other muffins as well.

KRISTI'S APPLE DIP

3 8oz pkg cream cheese
3 cups brown sugar
2 TBS vanilla
1/2 cup milk chocolate heath bits (must be milk chocolate)

Stir until all ingredients are blended
Sprinkle a little bit of the heath bits on top when you serve this, it makes a lot

BEST EVER CUP CAKES

1 cake mix (choose your flavor)
1 small box instant vanilla pudding (or lemon or chocolate pudding to match the cake mix).
4 eggs
1/2 oil
1 cup sour cream
1/2 warm water

350 degrees for 18 minutes

Mix eggs, oil, and water together.  Wisk cake mix and pudding together. Stir in the sour cream. Fill baking cups 2/3 full.

KATHY'S LASAGNA

1# hamburger
1/4 cup dried onions
1 tsp salt
Cook and drain
Sauce:
1 bottle traditional Prego Italian sauce
1 quart tomatos
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Combine all of the above ingredients including the hamburger and let simmer for at least on hour.

1/2 pkg lasagna noodles
1# (4 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 pint 2% cottage cheese


In a 9x13' pan:
Spoon a layer of sauce
Put a layer of noodles
Spoon a layer of sauce
Spoon a layer of cottage cheese (I drop about 8 spoonfuls random and spread out a little not covering the sauce completely).
Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top of sauce
Put another layer of noodles
Add one more layer of sauce
Spoon a layer of cottage cheese
Top off with the Mozzarella cheese
Sprinkle a little Grated Parmesan Cheese is desired.

Let sit a least 8 hours or over night.

Bake 350 degree 45 minutes to 1 hour

This can be frozen and cooked for a later date.  I thaw it in the fridge before cooking

LEMON BARS

I don't know who gave me this recipe.  I remember making it for a "Perrins Family Thanksgiving" in 1975.  I was 7 months pregnant with Seth. Up to this point, I had managed to keep my weight where it should be.  After making this recipe and the combination of Thanksgiving yummy food, I put on at least 30 pounds, I exploded!  You have been warned.

2 cups flour
1 cup soft butter
1 cup powdered sugar
Crumble together with hand mixer, and pat into a 9X12 baking dish.
Bake 350 degrees 15 minutes

Sift :
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups sugar

Mix with egg mixture:
4 slightly beaten eggs
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp lemon peel

Pour over crust: bake 25 minutes
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cool.

Cream Cheese Pie

My sister Gwen Butler gave me this recipe in the early 1970's, it is one of my favorites, I haven't made it for years. We just made it 2017 Christmas and loved it!

8 0z cream cheese softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
mix together until smooth
gradually add:
2 cups whipping cream and beat until stiff
Pour into a 9x13 pan with a graham cracker crust.
Chill then top with 1 can cherry pie filling or blueberry pie filling

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST:
2 Packages of graham cracker crushed into crumbs
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter melted
1/2 cup sugar
Mix together and pat into 9x13 pan

LaRee McNeese's Fudge

LaRee's fudge is famous at Piper Barn Craft Show.  People come just to get her fudge and she was kind enough share her recipe with me. 

1# milk chocolate, can be Hershey Bars, chocolate chips, or she uses dipping chocolate wafers.
1 12 ounce package semi sweet chocolate chips
1 10 ounce package mini marshmellows
2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

MEASURE ABOVE INGREDIENTS INTO A BOWL AND SET ASIDE

In a heavy pan stir over medium heat:
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 12 ounce can evaporated milk (she uses 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, so do I)
1 4 ounce cube of butter.
Stir until mixture starts to boil. Boil 5 minutes, remove from heat and quickly add set aside ingredients and mix thoroughly until chocolate and marshmallows  are melted (add nuts) and pour into a buttered 9x13 pan until set, 24 hours is a good amount of time for all the flavors to blend.
(or 1/2 pound each in small individual containers with lids).
Make 5# fudge.

AUNT GWEN'S TOFFEE (CARAMELS)

2 Cups Sugar
3/4 Cup Karo Syrup
2 Cups half and half
1/2 Cup Butter

Mix and boil to a firm ball - about 240 Degrees.  Pour into a 9x9' pan.  Mark into squares before it sets. Cool.  Wrap in wax paper.

It has to be stirred almost constantly, or it will burn to the bottom.  It goes dark as it cooks.  (Do it when you have a long phone call to make.  Or a movie to watch.

Funeral Potatoes

7 cups shredded baked potatoes

1/4 cup butter
2 cups sour cream
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 tsp salt
4 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed corn flakes
2 tsp melted butter

In a sauce pan, melt butter and heat sour cream and soup and salt.  Once uniform add cheese ( doesn't need to be melted).  Set aside about 1 1/2 cups for later.  Mix in potatoes then spread into a 9x13 pan. Top with mixture bake at 350* for 40 minutes topping with corn flake mixture just the last 5 mins.