Taco Bake

1 pkg. Macaroni and Cheese
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning Mix
3/4 cup Water
3/4 cup Sour Cream
1 1/2 cups Shredded Cheese
1 cup Salsa

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare Macaroni dinner as directed on package. While macaroni is cooking, brown the meat and drain. Add taco seasoning mix and water to meat; simmer for 5 minutes
Stir the sour cream into prepared Mac'n Cheese dinner. Spoon half of the mac'n cheese mix into an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish. Top with layers of the meat mixture, 1 cup of cheese and remaining mac'n cheese mixture.
Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Top with salsa and remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake uncovered for another 5 minutes for the cheese to melt.

Shepherd's Pie

So...I thought this looked kind of like a weird recipe...but it turned out to be quite tasty. Topher loved it. Actually ate the whole casserole dish in one sitting...yeah, that's Topher.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

2 cups hot mashed potatoes

4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup shredded cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced (I didn't actually do this part)

4 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup beef gravy

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown meat in large skillet and drain.

Mix potatoes, cream cheese, 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and garlic until well blended.

Stir vegetables and gravy into meat, and put into 9 inch square baking dish.

Cover meat and vegetables with potato mixture.

Top with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until heated all the way through.

Avocado Jack Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves (I used 2 big ones and just cut them in half...)

1/2 tsp. chili powder (or however much you want to use!!)

1/4 tsp. salt (again, however much you want to use!)

1 1/2 oz. colby jack cheese (or enough to have 4 slices)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium avocado, chopped

2 tsp. lime juice

1 cup picante sauce (I just used normal salsa and added some hot sauce to it)

Pound your thawed chicken to about 1/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle both sides with chili powder, salt and pepper. Cut Colby jack cheese into 4 slices. Wrap a piece of chicken around each piece of cheese. Secure it with a toothpick. Then take brush and rub each chicken with olive oil.
Grill either on normal grill on medium heat, or in Foreman grill. Turn a couple times until cooked through or thermometer inserted in middle reads 180 degrees.

Combine your avocado and lime juice in a small bowl and toss to coat. Spoon picante sauce and avocado mixture over the chicken.

This was so so yummy!! Topher and I also made some yummy rice with cajun spices, hot sauce, corn and peppers to go with the chicken. Definitely a very very yummy meal. Everything can kind of be played with too. Use as much chili powder as you want depending on how spicy you like it, use as much cheese as you like, depending on how cheesy you want it etc...

Em's Super Yummy Chicken Enchiladas

I had to post something so that Jen's eggplant recipe wouldn't be the first recipe people see when they check out this blog. ;) She complains that her son is picky and then tries to feed him eggplant...am I the only one seeing the irony in this? J/k. Love you Jen!

2-4 Chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 pkg. of Cream Cheese, softened
1 can Enchilada Sauce (one of the bigger ones)
Taco Seasoning to taste (ususally about 2-3 Tbsp.)
Tortillas
Cheese (lots of it!)

Toppings:
Cheese
Sour Cream
Salsa
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Olives
Guacamole

Directions: Cook Chicken and shred. Set aside. Mix Cream cheese, Chicken soup and Taco seasoning together in a bowl. Add shredded chicken. Mix well.

Next, get a large plate, coat it in a light layer of enchilada sauce. Lay tortilla on top and then spread more enchilada sauce over the tortilla. Put some of your chicken mixture on top, add cheese, roll up and stick in your 9x13 pan. Make as many enchiladas as you have filling for. Once you are finished, cover them with the remaining enchilada sauce and bake. I often divide my enchiladas between two square pans and freeze one for later in the month.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with all your toppings and I also serve mine with a side of rice.

Deceptively Delicious

I checked this book by Jessica Seinfeld out from the library today. I started paging through it and I'm super excited to try out these recipes and purees! My dear, sweet son Aaron is THE pickiest eater (well, except for PJ). I need to figure out how I can get nutrients in him, because I refuse to stuff food through his clamped jaws! As I try out the recipes, I'll let you know what works for us and what doesn't. Should be fun!

Fall Ratatouille

I received an eggplant and a red pepper in this month's co-op and I was looking for something interesting to do with it. Ratatouille is one of Anya's favorite movies right now and I thought this recipe would be great. As I was making it, I was a little nervous as to how it would taste. The answer? Delicious! I even had a friend over later and she had some and loved it as well!! NOTE: Joe will not like this and if you feed it to him, he will not be your friend anymore. Unless you maybe serve it with a side of roast beast!

1 medium eggplant, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2 thick slices
1 medium red pepper, cut into 1/2 thick slices
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 thick slices
1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing
1 can (16 ox) diced or stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 T Parmesan
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella (I recommend more!)

Mix eggplant, onion, red pepper, zucchini, and dressing in a large skillet. Cook and stir on medium high heat for 6-8 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned.
Add tomatoes; cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon into baking dish. Top with cheeses. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

This recipe courtesy Kraft Foods--2006 Calendar, October

Stuffed Shells

I've tried several variations of this recipe in the past, and finally combined all the elements I liked from them, to create this... the Ultimate, Perfect Stuffed Shells Recipe. Drumroll Please... (OK, so it's just a regular old stuffed shells recipe, but it's good!)

1 box jumbo pasta shells
10-16 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 T Olive oil or margarine
1/4 c - 1/2 c finely chopped onion
1/2 t crushed garlic cloves
1 c chopped mushrooms
1t+ Italian seasoning
1/4 t+ black pepper
dash of nutmeg
16 oz. cottage cheese (or ricotta... we have more un-refined tastes in this house and prefer the cheaper cottage cheese)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 - 1/2 c parmesan cheese
mozzarella cheese
1 large jar spaghetti sauce



Cook pasta shells according to package instructions. Drain well and set aside.

In medium saucepan saute onions and garlic in butter/olive oil. Add mushrooms and seasonings and cook until tender. Remove from heat and add spinach, cheeses, and eggs.

Divide mixture evenly into shells (no matter how many different ways I do this, I always have leftover shells...) Spread bottom of pan with about 1/2 c spaghetti sauce and then arrange shells over sauce. Top shells with remaining sauce and more mozzarella cheese.

Bake in 350 oven for 30-40 minutes, or until hot, bubbly and cheese is melted and enjoy!

I usually divide my shells between 2 small square pans and freeze one for later... one pan is usually enough for us.