Banana Cookies

I first saw this on Pinterest but the link didn't work, so I just googled it and found THIS recipe. It's from a blog called therecipecritic.com. These were SO yummy. They tasted very similar to my frosted banana bars that I make all the time.

Ingredients:

(Recipe cut in half to make about 3 dozen)
1 cup shortening (I used butter flavored shortening)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups Flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup nuts (opt)

Cream the shortening, sugar, and eggs.  Stir in the banana.  Add the buttermilk and vanilla.  Measure the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Blend together and then add to the creamed mixture.  Add nuts if desired.  Drop by rounded tablespoon 2 inches apart on baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Frost with cream cheese frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 4 ounces unsalted butter softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla.

Zupa's Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

I love Zupa's. And every time I go there, I get the exact same thing. A turkey, avocado panini and a bowl of Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup. I crave it all the time. In fact I just met my friend there for lunch a few days ago because I'd been craving it. So I was so excited to come across this recipe on Pinterest, that came from HERE.  I don't know that it actually tasted like Zupa's, but it was yummy so I will make this again. Although I thought the Pepper Jack cheese made it to spicy hot. My husband didn't think so. Maybe next time I will leave it out or just put in less. Either way, this will be a regular meal at my house throughout the winter. It wasn't that hard, but it seemed kind of time consuming. And I may have never bought a head of cauliflower in my life before making this soup. :)

Zupa's Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup
2 tablespoons margarine or butter (1/4 stick)
1 medium onion, chopped (left out of course)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 spoon salt
2 cups milk
1 can (13 3/4 to 14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 head (2 1/2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup Sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup Pepper Jack cheese

 In 4-quart saucepan, melt margarine or butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and salt; cook 2minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and 1 1/2 cups water; add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. In blender (with center part of blender cover removed to allow steam to escape), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth. Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth. Garnish soup with remaining cheese to serve.

Chicken Enchilada Puffs or Taco Puffs

I came across this recipe on Pinterest also, but it came from HERE. They were easy, and yummy. Also similar to my chicken roll up recipe. After I made them I was thinking they would be good using taco meat as well and I think I am going to try that soon.

Ingredients
1 package jumbo crescent rolls
3 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
3/4 cup cooked chicken (diced or shredded)
1/3 cup enchilada or taco sauce
2 teaspoons enchilada or taco seasoning mix
1/4 cup Mexican shredded cheese for sprinkling

Instructions Preheat oven to 375° and line cookie sheet with foil and spray with no-stick spray Place cream cheese and 1/2 cup Mexican cheese in small bowl and microwave for about 30-40 seconds, to soften. Add seasoning mix, sauce and chicken to cheese mixture and stir until combined. Unroll crescent rolls on prepared pan. Scoop 1 large heaping tablespoon of chicken mixture into the center of the two short ends of the crescent roll. Pull outer corners of the crescent roll over the chicken mixture, and then pull the long end over, completely enclosing filling. Sprinkle tops of puffs with additional shredded Mexican cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I enjoy food blogs with pictures so much more than without but I never remember to take them. Someday I am going to have to add them. This is a recipe I found on Pinterest, but that came from HERE. It was SO yummy. I'm not a huge lover of left overs but I ate it the night after I made it and then couldn't wait to eat it the next night but when I got home from work it was gone. So I'll be making it again soon. 

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast, trimmed
15 oz can sweet whole corn kernels, drained
15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
5 C chicken stock
3/4 C onion, chopped (left out)
3/4 C green pepper, chopped (left out)
1 serrano pepper, minced (left out)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp ground pepper,
divided Monterey Jack cheese, shredded Seasoned tortilla strips I also added sliced avocado

To your slow cooker add first 9 ingredients plus 1 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp ground pepper. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Prior to serving, remove chicken breasts. Transfer chicken to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for easy shredding. Alternately you may shred chicken by hand. Season chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Return shredded seasoned chicken to slow cooker bowl. Stir gently. If serving immediately, divide among bowls. Top off with a generous helping of shredded cheese and seasoned tortilla strips. Soup may be stored in the fridge for up to several days. If freezing, label containers well with soup name and date.

Slacking....

I have so many recipes I need to post. I hope someday I find some time. I hope I can remember those I want to share...I have been making a ton of recipes that I've found on Pinterest. I'm in the process of moving the ones I've tried from my Food board to my 'Recipes I've Tried Board.' If you follow me on Pinterest, you can click on the Recipes I've tried. I will only post the ones I will make again. And maybe someday transfer them here. I've been making at least one new recipe a week so I have tried a lot of new things lately. 

Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich

I'm not sure why I never thought of this before. I love avocados and hard boiled eggs. I saw this on Pinterest and the recipe came from HERE (neverhomemaker.com) We ate them on toasted flat bread, but they would be yummy as a wrap too. I loved these so much.

Ingredients
4 hard-boiled eggs (I place the eggs in the water immediately  Once it starts to boil I remove heat and cover for 12 minutes. Then I place in a strainer and run cold water over them and peel immediately.)
1 large avocado cubed
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I don't measure, I just use what it looks like it needs)
1 teaspoon curry or fenugreek powder (I left this out because I didn't have it)
Pinch of salt and pepper

I mixed the eggs with the mayo before adding the avocado. Then I just lightly mixed in the avocado.  After I toasted the flat bread I spread a little more mayo on it before adding the egg/avocado salad.

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Pasta

I saw this on Pinterest and it came from HERE (mommyimhungry.blogspot.com) It was really yummy. I posted the entire recipe, the same as she has it, but I used bow tie pasta instead of lasagna noodles.

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Lasagna
Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen
2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
1 (1 oz) pkg. Hidden Valley dry Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix (not the dip blend)
3 C. cubed, cooked, chicken
1/8 tsp pepper
1 (16oz) lasagna noodles, cooked (I used 9 noodles)
1 1/2 to 2 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 to 2 C mozzarella cheese, grated

 Combine evaporated milk and Ranch dressing and pepper in a 3 quart heavy saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved. Simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken slightly. Layer half of lasagna noodles, chicken, sauce, and cheese in well-greased 9×13 pan. Repeat layers again. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving. This sauce may curdle on you when heating it, it's OK. Mine did not, because I kept it at a low heat after I let it come to just a boil, and stirred, stirred, stirred. You may not need the full 25 minutes, so when you can tell it's starting to thicken, it's OK to add to the dish. It may curdle after it's baked, but again, it's OK.

 FOR A GLUTEN FREE CASSEROLE STYLE: (for non GF, use regular pasta)
 2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
 1 (1 oz) pkg. Any Gluten Free Dry Ranch Salad Dressing (not the dip blend)
 3 C. cubed, cooked, chicken (about 2 large chicken breasts)
1/8 tsp pepper
2-3 C. uncooked gluten free penne pasta
1 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 C mozzarella cheese, grated

 Spray a 9x13 baking dish. Cook pasta until about 2 minutes under regular cook time (probably about 5-6 minutes). Drain, add to prepared dish. Combine evaporated milk and Ranch dressing and pepper in a 3 quart heavy saucepan. Heat just to a boil then lower heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved. Simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken slightly. Layer pasta, chicken, sauce, and cheese into dish. Bake uncovered at 350' for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Enchiladas With Green Chili & Sour Cream Sauce

I really do make a lot of recipes I find on Pinterest. Hopefully I will find time to start posting some of my favorite ones. This one was really good. It came from HERE (joyful-mommas-kitchen.blogspot.com)

Chicken enchiladas with green chili sour cream sauce
10 soft taco shells
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies 1.

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan 2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan. 3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly. 4. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream. 5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese. 6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

Zucchini Crescent Pie

Now that zucchini season is over, I might actually post all my new recipes. I've been way to busy to blog. But, we had so much zucchini this year. My sweet neighbor brought me hers, and I grew my own. For the first time ever I grew a garden. I was pretty proud of myself. I never thought I'd get sick of zucchini, but I did. I hated to see it go to waste so I would cook it in some form every single day. I tried a ton of new recipes, but still have some of my old favorites. This was one that I made multiple times. I loved it. It came from Taste of Home.

Ingredients
1 package (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise and quartered (my zucchini were HUGE, so I just guessed on this one. I don't really know how much I used. And I cut the pieces very small.)
1/2 cup chopped onion (I left this out)
1/4 cup butter, cubed
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1 medium Roma tomato, thinly sliced

Directions Separate crescent dough into eight triangles; place in a greased 9-in. pie plate with points toward the center. Press onto the bottom and up the sides to form a crust; seal seams and perforations. Bake at 375° for 5-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute zucchini and onion in butter until tender; stir in seasonings. Spoon into crust. Combine the eggs, cheese and ham; pour over zucchini mixture. Top with tomato slices. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

I made these a long time ago, but they were delicious. I've seen this recipe on several blogs and on Pinterest, but the recipe I am posting came from HERE. (life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com)

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
 3 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded 10 flour tortillas (soft taco size)
16 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 cans (10 oz each) green enchilada sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream

 Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder together and then mix with the shredded chicken. Let marinate for 30 minutes. Spray a 9x13 pan and a 8x8 pan with cooking spray. Pour a little bit of the green enchilada sauce on the bottom of each pan. Take one tortilla and fill with chicken and a few tablespoons of cheese. (Make sure to save atleast 1-1/2 cups cheese to sprinkle over top of enchiladas) Roll up tortillas and place in prepared pans. Repeat with all tortillas, chicken and cheese. Mix together the remaining enchilada sauce and cream. Pour sauce over the tops of enchiladas (depending on how saucey you like your enchiladas, you may not need to use all of the sauce. Eyeball it) Sprinkle the reserved cheese evenly over the tops. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole or any toppings you love. Enjoy! Recipe adapted from: The Sisters Cafe

Crock Pot Mac N Cheese

I am not sure how I came across this blog. It could have been Pinterest or another blog. But, I found it HERE. (tipgarden.blogspot.com) I loved it because it was super easy. 

Cooking oil spray

2 cups skim milk

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

1 egg

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I didn't have sharp cheddar so I just used mild)

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

Spray the pot of the slow cooker.  In a mixing bowl whisk together milk, evaporated milk, egg, salt and pepper. Pour milk mixture into the crockpot.  Add cheese and uncooked macaroni. Stir gently to mix.  

Turn slow cooker on low and cook 3-4 hours, or until the custard is set and the macaroni is tender.  (Do not cook more than 4 hours, or the sides will begin to dry out).  Serve at once.  I think this was completely done after cooking on low for 3 hours. The edges were crispy. 

Peanut Butter Bars

I've seen this recipe all over Pinterest, but the one I followed came from HERE (mybakerlady.com)

 Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars
(from Let’s Dish)

Ingredients
1 cup butter melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (use the boxed kind)
 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup + 4 tablespoons peanut butter (4 tablespoons is for the frosting)
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

 Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 inch pan. In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

My friend at work gave me this recipe. It was yummy!

Ingredients:
1/2 C softened butter
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 3/4 C sugar
2 eggs
2 C grated zucchini
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 C flour
4 Tbsp cocoa
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

1/2 C sour milk (add 1-2 tsp vinegar to make milk sour)

Topping:
1 C brown sugar (I used about 3/4 C)
1 C chopped nuts (I used almonds)
1 C chocolate chips
Combine and sprinkle over top before baking

Cream butter, oil, sugar & eggs. Then mix in zucchini and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Last add sour milk. Pour in greased cake pan. Sprinkle with topping and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. (Baking time varies - just check with toothpick and it's done when it comes out clean.)

Black Bean & Zucchini Quesadillas

I found this recipe on health.com and I love it. We have an abundance of Zucchini, which I am grateful for, but I was tired of making the same stuff over and over so I was looking for something different. This was so easy and so good. I'll post the actual recipe, but I changed the measurements (or didn't measure)

Ingredients

1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tbsp salsa

1/2 cup finely chopped zucchini

corn tortillas

4 tbsp shredded cheese

Directions

1. Combine beans and salsa in small bowl, mash with a fork. Stir in zucchini

2. Layer 1 tortilla with half the bean mixture, sprinkle with 2 tbsp cheese, top with another tortilla

3. Repeat with remaining tortillas

4. In broiler or toaster oven, cook quesadillas 1 minute on each side until cheese is melted and bubbly.

***I used a whole can of black beans and approx 4 tbsp salsa. I probably used about 1 cup or more of zucchini and I didn't measure the cheese. I was also lazy and didn't mash the ingredients. I used flour tortillas instead of corn.*** 

Taco Melts

I saw a recipe for cheeseburger melts on Life as a Lofthouse and I decided to change them to taco melts. They were SO yummy! I forgot to take a picture but my kids and their friend loved them and so did we. I don't really need to put a recipe down but I need to post this so I remember it when looking for a dinner idea.

Hamburger

Taco seasoning

Pillsbury pizza crust

cheese

sour cream

tomatoes

lettuce

Brown hamburger, drain, add taco seasoning. While the hamburger is cooking roll out the pizza crust and cut it into eight squares (or however many you want) This was the hardest part. I tried to shape them into the best circles that I could. It wasn't easy so they didn't look great. Fry them in a frying pan until browned on each side. Once they are all cooked put the meat and cheese in the center and cook them on warm in the oven for just a few minutes to melt the cheese. Add additional toppings and fold like a taco.  

Chicken Roll Ups

As if cooking blogs weren't enough. I'm now addicted to Pinterest, but I'm sure my family doesn't mind all the new things they get to eat. I found this recipe on Pinterest, but it comes from the blog 'plainchicken.com' It's very similar to my other chicken crescent roll ups recipe that I used to make on a weekly basis until I got so sick of them but these looked good so I thought I'd give them a try. They were seriously SO good! Of course I only post recipes on here that I think are worth trying, but you should try these!

Chicken Crescent Roll Casserole
adapted from Recipezaar.com
2 (8 ounce) cans Reduced Fat Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls (I only used one)
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese or swiss cheese (or any cheese of choice)
1/2 cup milk

Filling
4 ounces cream cheese (very soft)
2 tablespoons butter (very soft but not melted)
1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tsp minced onion flakes (I left this out)
2 large cooked chicken breasts, finely chopped (or use a rotissori chicken my personal favorite)
1/2-3/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)
2 Tbsp. milk
1-2 cup grated cheddar cheese (for topping)

 Set oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 dish with cooking spray. Mix together milk, 3/4 cup cheese and chicken soup (can season with black pepper if desired). Place most of the mixture on the bottom of the pan, leaving out just a little bit to spread over the top. For the filling  (make certain that the cream cheese and butter are very soft) in a bowl, mix the soft cream cheese with butter until very smooth, then add in garlic powder. Add in the chopped chicken, onion and cheddar cheese; mix well until combined. Add in 2 tablespoons milk; mix to combine (add in a little more if the mixture seems too dry). Season with seasoned salt or white and black pepper to taste. Unroll the crescent rolls. Place 1 heaping tablespoon chicken mixture (or a little more) on top of each crescent triangle, then roll up starting at the thicker end. Then place the crescent rolls seam-side down on top of the creamed mixture in the casserole. Drizzle the remaining sauce on top (you don't have to use the full amount of cream sauce, just use as much as desired) and sprinkle with 1 cup (or more) grated cheese, or amount desired. Bake for about 30 minutes.

Crock Pot Potato Soup

I have another easy potato soup recipe that I make all the time, but I saw this on Pinterest. It came from the blog 'pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com. I decided to try it and love it!

Ingredients:
1 30oz. bag of frozen, shredded hash browns (I use cubed not shredded and used the brand Ore Ida)
2 14oz. cans of chicken broth (her recipe called for 3 but I only used 2)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup onion, chopped (I left this out)
 1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 pkg. cream cheese
cheese

Directions: In a crockpot, combine everything EXCEPT for the cream cheese. Cook for 6-8 hours on low heat. About 1 hour before serving, add cream cheese and keep heated until thoroughly melted. Serve with cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, green onions, or whatever else.

S'mores Pie

I saw this on Life as a Lofthouse. This is my new favorite dessert. I have been making chocolate chip pie a few times a month because I love that recipe, but this was so good too so now I will alternate. This one is a MUST try!

S'mores Pie
slightly adapted from: Cookies and Cups

1/2 cup salted butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 (7 ounce) jar Marshmallow Creme (don't use regular marshmallows)
4 Regular sized Hersheys Bars, broken into pieces
wax or parchment paper

 DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a *9 inch glass pie pan with baking spray. Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy and combined. Add egg and vanilla until incorporated. On low speed add in flour, graham cracker crumbs and baking powder. Divide the dough in half. Press half of the dough in the bottom and sides of the prepared pie pan. Evenly spread the Marshmallow Creme over the bottom of crust. Spread the broken chocolate pieces on top of the Marshmallow Creme. Form the remaining dough into a ball and place it on a piece of wax or parchment paper. Top with another piece of wax or parchment paper and flatten into a 9 inch circle with a rolling pin. Carefully peel off the top piece of wax paper. Flip the crust onto the top of pie and peel off the other piece of paper. Pinch the dough together to form the crust. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely and then slice and serve.

*The first time I made this I used a pie tin, the second time I made it I put it in an 8X11 inch pan.

Pepperoni String Chese Roll Ups

I saw these on The Girl Who Ate Everything, then I also saw them on Life as a Lofthouse. I thought about making them for the Super Bowl but I wanted to try them out first. They were really good.

Pepperoni String Cheese Roll Ups Source:
adapted from Dinner With The Donnells
1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent roll dough
4 cheese sticks, halved
1 (3.5 ounce) package sliced pepperoni
optional - marinara or ranch sauce for dipping

Garlic Butter Glaze:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take each triangle of crescent roll dough and place about 4 pepperoni on the bottom of the triangle. Place half of a cheese stick on top and roll up. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-14 minutes or until golden brown. While rolls are cooking, combine the melted butter, Italian seasonings, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. When rolls are done remove from the oven and brush with the garlic butter glaze. Serve with marinara or ranch for dipping.

Oven Baked Frito Pie

I saw this on Sweet Treats and More. It was really good. When I warmed it up the next day I had to take the Fritos off the top because they were soggy.  I probably would just leave those off and add them before serving.

Oven-Baked Frito Pie
source: What's For Dinner?
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 can (16 oz) chili beans (I just used a can of chili because I didn't have just chili beans)
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 1/2 cups corn chips (Frito's)
1 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions: Cook ground beef until meat is browned; drain. Stir in beans, tomato sauce, taco seasoning mix and 1/4 c. of cheese. Sprinkle 1 cup corn chips in bottom of 8x8 baking dish or 9x13 dish. Cover with chili. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Spread sour cream over chili. Top with remaining corn chips and cheese. Bake 4-5 minutes longer. Makes 6 to 8 servings

Warm Bean Dip

I saw this on Life as a Lofthouse and it looked so good. I made it for the super bowl party we went to and I loved it! I didn't have the monterey jack cheese so I used cheddar and mozzarella.

Warm Bean Dip Recipe
adapted from: allrecipes.com 

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 cans (16 ounces, each) refried beans
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together cream cheese and sour cream in a large bowl. Mix in refried beans until combined. Stir in taco seasoning. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Spread mixture evenly into the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle the top with both cheeses. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese in melted and slightly browned. Serve with tortilla chips.

Toffee Dip

My friend gave me this recipe that came from allrecipes.com. It's so yummy!

Ingredients:
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 pkg toffee bits (found by the chocolate chips)

Beat together the cream cheese, sugars and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Stir in toffee bits. Serve with sliced apples. Refrigerate leftovers.

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

Another recipe from Life as a Lofthouse blog....

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups salsa
(15 oz) can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup Cheese Whiz
3/4 cup Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Cumin
6 soft taco size Flour Tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain fat. Stir in salsa, beans, cheese whiz, sour cream, taco seasoning and cumin. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Spray a 9x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon a 1/3 of meat mixture in the bottom. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese. Layer 3 flour tortillas over the top. ( you will have to cut one of the tortillas so they fit ) Spoon another 1/3 of meat mixture on top of the tortillas, then sprinkle another 1/2 cup of cheese. Do one more tortilla layer, the last of the meat mixture and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese has melted and it's hot and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes or so before slicing. Makes 9 servings.

Chicken & Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

I got this recipe from the sweet treats and more blog.

Ingredients:
2 cups diced or shredded chicken
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chili peppers, drained
1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 (8 oz) Sour cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 11x7 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and spray with vegetable cooking spray. Saute chicken, cumin and coriander until chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the cilantro, black beans, and green chili peppers.

Spread half of the enchilada sauce over the bottom pan. Place 4 tortillas over the sauce, overlapping if necessary. spoon half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas, and sprinkle with half of the cheese and half of the sour cream.

Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the cheese, and make another layer of tortillas. Layer the remaining chicken mixture over the tortillas.

Cover dish with a lid or foil. Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove cover and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and dot with sour cream. Continue cooking, uncovered, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Tator Tot Casserole

I've made this a few times but each time have to find where I wrote down the recipe so here it is finally. I think of the Duggars when I make this. But it's actually really good. I wanted to make it and thought I had a friend who made it for her son. Well I must have been dreaming because when I asked her for her recipe she told me she'd never made tator tot casserole in her life. So I decided to google the recipe and I also found out that another friend makes it so I think I just combined the recipes. One didn't have cheese I think. Anyway, this is how I make it.

1 lb Hamburger

1 bag frozen Tater Tots
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Brown hamburger and drain. Pour into the bottom of the baking dish. Pour tator tots over the hamburger.

Mix both soups and evaporated milk together. Pour mixture over the tater tots. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Add cheese and cook about 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Baked French Toast

My friend was telling me about THIS recipe so I decided to try it the morning after Christmas. It was sweet and rich so you couldn't eat much but it was so good.
12-14 slices of soft white bread
4 oz whipped cream cheese
1 stick butter, sliced
1/4 C syrup
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 C milk

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large casserole pan add sliced butter, syrup, brown sugar. Place in oven, melt together for 5-7 minutes until caramelized, stirring once. Spread cream cheese on half of the bread slices, place additional slice on top sandwich style. Set aside. In small bowl combine sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. In a mixing bowl scramble eggs, add milk, add vanilla. When butter mixture is caramelized, remove from oven, put sandwiches in pan, sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Pour egg mixture over sandwiches, cover, refrigerate over night. In the morning preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 45 minutes. Serve caramel side up. Top with Berries, syrup, and sour cream. We had whipped cream on top and that was good.

Butter Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 stick real butter
2 Tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Directions
Combine buttermilk, sugar, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda in a large pot. I stir until the butter is melted then I add the baking soda.

Bring ingredients to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring very frequently, for 8-9 minutes.

When it's done, it should be golden brown. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

I saw this recipe in a coupon add and thought they were pretty good.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups chicken, cooked, shredded
2 Tblsp Olive oil
1/2 cup Onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 Tblsp chili powder
16 Ounce salsa
1/2 Tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon (probably less they tasted very much like cinnamon)
pinch of salt
6-10 flour tortillas
1 cup refried beans
Olive oil
Sour Cream
Guacamole

Directions:
In large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in chili powder, salsa, cumin and cinnamon.Stir in shredded chicken. Let cool. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease rimmed 15x10x1 baking pan. working with one tortilla at a time, spoon a heaping tablespoon of beans down center of each tortilla. Top with 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture. Fold up the bottom, top and sides of the tortilla; secure with wooden toothpicks if necessary. Place chimichangas in greased baking pan, seam side down. Brush all sides with the oil. Bake 20-25 minutes.