Taco Soup

This is super easy and quick to throw together last minute.

1 lb. ground beef or turkey (I always use turkey bc it's just healthier than red meat, and it tastes really good)
2 pkgs. taco seasoning (or 1/4 cup)
1 can pinto beans
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 can corn


Put raw meat and taco seasoning in skillet and brown. (Sometimes I add a little amount of water since the meat is really lean). Open cans and DO NOT DRAIN. Pour cans into large pot. Once the meat is browned and ready, add it to the pot. Heat all ingredients to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. We like to eat it with tortilla chips and/or shredded mexican cheese on top.
Sorry there is no picture. I'll have to take one next time I make this.

Super easy Pot Roast

I'm sure most of you girls know this recipe like the back of your hand, but just in case you don't, I decided to post it. It's the easiest thing out there and it's so yummy! And just like your mom makes it for Sunday dinner!


1 rump roast (2-3lbs-depending on the size of your crockpot-mine is small- like 3qt size, and how many people you are feeding, you can buy a bigger roast. I usually buy a 2.5lb one and that is enough for the 3 of us, plus PLENTY for left overs.)
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
3-4 big handfuls of baby carrots
4-5 potatoes, cut into quarters


Then, you basically just dump it all in, and cook on low all day (6-8 hours) until the meat is done! Turn it off when it is done cooking, to let the sauce/gravy thicken up before serving.

Mostaccioli

Alfredo Sauce:

1/2 cup butter

3 oz cream cheese

1 pint heavy cream

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 c grated parmesan cheese

1 lb. mostaccioli or other tubular pasta (penne is fine)

1 jar meatless spaghetti sauce

2 cups of mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Mix in the cream cheese. Stir in the cream and garlic powder. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Decrease to simmer, stirring often while you cook the pasta.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions.

4. Add parmesan cheese to sauce stirring until melted.

5. In a 9X13 inch pan layer noodles, spaghetti sauce and alfredo sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese.

6. Cover and bake about 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly

Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

1 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/8 t salt

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and grease loaf pan

2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add sugar and butter and mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix on low about 1 min.

3. Mix in a bowl, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the banana mixture all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon just until combined.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake 60-70 min. until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean but not dry. Let cool in pan 10 min.

Brownie Trifle

1 Lg container or Cool Whip
1 Family size pkg. of Chocolate Pudding prepared
1 box of Brownies prepared
1 bag of Health Bits or just crush up a few Skor/Heath bars

Layer in a trifle bowl 1/2 the brownies on bottom. Cut the brownies in 1 inch by 1 inch squares. Then add 1/2 the Chocolate pudding and 1/2 the Cool Whip. Add a layer or Heath bits. Then repeat, brownies, pudding, cool whip heath bits. Let it chill for a couple hours before serving.

Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts {2-4}
1 packet of taco seasoning
1-2 cans of chicken broth {depending on how much chicken}

Combine all 3 ingredients in crock pot. Then cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Spoon chicken into warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, olives, {and whatever else you please!}. I always make Mexican rice when we have this because my husband likes to put that in his tacos too.

{Sorry, no picture. But, this is SO yummy...trust me!}

Cranberry Chicken

This is a favorite at our house and is SO easy and fast to make.

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts {2-4}
1 medium bottle of french salad dressing
1 can whole cranberries
1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix

-Place frozen chicken breasts in 9x13 glass pan.
-Pour french dressing all over chicken {sometimes I use the whole bottle, sometimes I don't, it just depends on how many chicken breasts I am cooking}.
-Sprinkle soup mix all over.
-Scoop cranberries all over.
-Cook @ 350 degrees for 1 hour.
-Serve over rice.

'Germans' aka German Pancakes

-Place 1/2 stick margarine {or butter} in glass 9x13 pan, put in oven while it is preheating so margarine melts...

-In large mixing bowl:

6 eggs

1 c. flour

1 c. milk

1/2 tsp. salt

-Mix until smooth and then pour into pan.

-Bake @ 400 degrees for 20 mins.

-Top with powdered sugar, syrup, or jam! 

{We like a to squirt a little lemon juice on ours and then top with powdered sugar. So yummy!}

The BEST Sugar Cookies!!

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a mixer bowl, cream butter with sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts (i always add more vanilla). Mix flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Do not chill dough. Roll out dough for cookies about 1/2 in thick (the thicker the better!!) and use cookie cutters for design. Dip cookie cutters in flour before each use. Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet 6-7 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Makes about 2 dozen cookies. I always use a homemade cream cheese frosting. ENJOY!!

Homemade Pizza Dough

1 pkg. of Active Dry Yeast

1 c. Warm water (115 degrees)

1 1/2 c. Whole Wheat Flour
2 tsp. Granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. Salt

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 1/2 c. White Flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Allow to rest 5 minutes. Add all other ingredients except last cup of white flour. Add water mixture to dry mixture. Knead remaining flour into dough for 5 minutes. (The dough will be smooth and elastic).

Cover pizza dough and allow to rise in a warm draft free place till doubled (about an hour). Spray one 14 inch pizza pan or two 10 inch pizza pans. (I put mine on a cookie sheet that has sides, it fills the pan nicely) Stretch pizza to fit. Top with desired toppings.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake until cheese is melted and crust browned (roughly 10 minutes). Enjoy!