Tator Tot Bake ~ by Sarah

A Facebook friend shared this recipe on my news feed and I thought it looked good, so I made it the next day.  It is delicious!  And even better the next day!  Easy, too!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion (diced) (I used green onions, instead.)
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 small can black olives (sliced)
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen corn
1 (4 ounce) can green chilies (diced and drained)
1 (12 ounce) can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (16 ounce) bag shredded Mexican cheese blend (I shredded my own jack and cheddar because I think bagged cheese is just not as good.)
1 (16 ounce) package frozen tater tots
1 (10.5 ounce fluid ounce) can enchilada sauce
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add ground beef, garlic, and onion and cook while breaking the meat apart with a spoon or spatula until the ground beef is completely browned. Drain off any excess fat. Add taco seasoning mix, green chilies, frozen corn, and black beans to the ground beef. Cook until heated through.
Step 2: In a large bowl combine ground beef mixture, ¾ of the Mexican cheese blend, and all of the tater tots. Stir well to combine.
Step 3: Pour about 1/3 of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add the tater tot mixture to the baking dish and lightly pat the mixture down into a solid, even layer. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tater tots.
Step 4: Place into the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. During the last few minutes of baking, top the casserole with the remaining Mexican cheese blend and the sliced black olives. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

(Not my picture...)

Chicken Divan ~ by Sarah

Years ago, Wes went elk hunting over in Prairie City where his grandparents and aunt and uncle live.  He came home with this recipe from Aunt Vonna and it got lost in the depths of my recipe drawer.  Then Dad got the three of us girls a cookbook for Christmas and I saw this exact recipe, so I dug the original out of the drawer and compared them.  They are the same except for one thing: Aunt Vonna's recipe calls for crackers on the top.  Frankly, I can't imagine this recipe without them!  It is so delicious and really easy!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 c. fresh or frozen broccoli, chopped

2 c. cooked chicken or turkey, chopped

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/3 c. mayonnaise

1/2 t. curry powder

1/2 t. lemon juice

1 c. grated cheddar cheese

buttered cracker crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Spread broccoli evenly on the bottom of a 9x9-inch pan.  Cover with chicken pieces. Mix soup, mayo, lemon juice, curry, and cheese.  Pour mixture over chicken and smooth out.  Top with cracker crumbs.  Bake 45 minutes or until bubbly.

Beef Taco Bake~by Kelsey

I found this in my Campbell's Classic Recipes cook book.  I made it according to directions and it was good, but we all agreed that next time I should add beans and/or corn.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 can (10 3/4 oz) Condensed Tomato Soup
1 cup thick salsa or picante sauce
1/2 cup milk
6 flour or corn tortillas (small size), cut into 1 inch piecies
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

(Again, I would add a can of kidney or black beans, or some frozen corn, as well.)

In a medium skillet, cook ground beef until brown.  Add soup, salsa, milk, tortillas, and HALF of the cheese.  Spoon into 2-qt shallow baking dish.  Cover.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Hamburger and Green Chili Casserole~by Kelsey

This recipe comes from my Bring 'Em On Home cookbook.  It is simple and really good, especially if you top it with sour cream and salsa.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 teasp salt
1/4 teasp pepper
1-7 oz can whole green chilies (I found these in the ethnic foods aisle)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger, onions, and seasoning.  Place in the bottom of a casserole or deep pie dish (I used about a 9X9 pan, a 9X13 would have been to big.  Lay the green chilies over the beef mixture.  Cover the chilies with the cheddar cheese.  Beat together the milk, eggs, and Bisquick.  Pour it over the top of the cheese.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the eggs set.  Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole ~ by Sarah

I found this recipe in my Pioneer Cookbook.  I modified it a little bit to make it more like the chicken enchiladas I make and we love.  It turned out to be very good!

Ingredients:
8 corn tortillas, cut into eighths
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed and cooked
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. chicken broth (I would recommend low sodium--there's enough salt in everything else and you don't want it to be too salty)
1 medium can diced green chilies
4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz. jack cheese, shredded
2 small cans sliced black olives


Directions:
Cook cubed chicken.  Add green onions and chilies.  Simmer for 10 minutes or so to let some of the juices evaporate.

Find a cute little chef to help you:

Place half of tortillas in the bottom of a greased 9x13-inch pan.  Mix chicken, onions, chilies, soups, broth, olives, and half of each cheese in large bowl.  Put half of the mixture on top of tortillas.  Place other half of tortillas on mixture in pan.  Follow with the final soup/chicken mixture.

Top with remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until bubbly.

Pea Salad ~ by Sarah

Mom makes a pea salad that I have always loved.  She gave me her recipe and a different recipe she had seen and then I combined them with others I had seen to make this one.  It was yummy!  All amounts are general--you decide based on what you like!

Ingredients:
two bags frozen peas
two stalks celery, finely chopped
green onions, finely chopped
cheddar cheese, cubed in small cubes
peanuts
bacon bits
water chestnuts
homemade ranch dressing
boiled eggs--I didn't do this this time due to time

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except ranch, in large bowl.  Add ranch dressing, a little at a time, until you get a consistency you like.  The longer before serving you can make it to let the flavors meld, the better!

Corn Salad ~ by Sarah

My aunt makes a corn salad that I love, so searched the Internet until I found a recipe that seemed pretty close. It's such a great summer dish!

Ingredients:
2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 purple onion, diced
1 green onion, diced (or half green and half red)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
chili cheese Frito corn chips

Directions:
Combine everything put the chips in a bowl and mix well.  I also added some pepper, salt, and Salad Elegance.  Just before serving crush the corn chips into big chunks and add to the salad (to your desire).  You want to add these right before serving or they get soggy.

Twice-Baked Potatoes ~ by Sarah

These are ah-mazing.  In the words of cousin Amy, "These are the best things I've ever eaten."  And they pretty much are.  Just don't think about your waistline while you're enjoying them.  Big surprise--they come from the Pioneer Woman!

Ingredients:
8 baking potatoes, scrubbed clean
canola oil
8 slices thick-cut bacon, fried
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, cut into slices
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, such as Lawry's
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2-3 green onions, sliced

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

With a paper towel, rub the outside of the potatoes with canola oil.  Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked inside and the skins are slightly crisp.

Turn the oven down to 300 degrees.

Dice the fried bacon into bits.  Throw the butter, sour cream, bacon, milk, seasoned salt, and pepper into a large bowl.

While the potatoes are still hot, hold each potato in a towel and cut in half lengthwise.  With a large spoon, scrape out the insides into the bowl with the other ingredients.  Repeat until all the potatoes have been scraped.  Reserve the potato shells on a large baking sheet.

Use a potato masher to mix the ingredients together.  Stir in 1 cup of the grated cheese.  Slice the green onions and add them to the bowl.  Stir, taste, and adjust the seasonings as necessary.

Fill each potato half with the potato mixture and return to the baking sheet.  Top with the remaining 1 cup grated cheese.  Bake in the 300 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are hot.

Pioneer Woman picture:

If you want step-by-step directions with pictures, go here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/07/twice_baked_pot/.  The recipe is older than the one in her cookbook, so I would follow this one and just look at hers for pictures.

Taco Bake ~ by Sarah

I got this recipe from Tasty Kitchen. I LOVED it! I love all things bread and this has a bread-like crust. It was easy, too!

Ingredients:
FOR THE CRUST:
1/2 cup crushed corn chips (like Fritos)
2 cups flour
1 package (7g packet) yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons minced fresh onion
3/4 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup very warm (not hot) water
2 Tablespoons oil

FOR THE FILLING:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 envelope taco seasoning
water (amount according to taco seasoning packet's directions)

Directions:
Put crushed corn chips, flour, yeast, sugar, minced onion and salt in a food processor bowl. Pulse a few times to combine.  (Note: Next time I make this, I'm going to add a tablespoon or so of taco seasoning to give the crust a little more flavor.)

With processor running, add the warm water and oil in a thin, steady stream to the dry ingredients. Keep pulsing and mixing until the dough forms a ball.

Grease a deep, 9-inch cake pan or spring-form pan.

Press the dough evenly over the bottom and at least a couple of inches up the sides. This is a yeast dough and, while it doesn’t rise a lot, it’ll get puffy. You’re going to fill this shell with taco meat and want to give the dough room enough to puff and also to hold the meat.

Put it aside in a warm area, cover it with a towel and let it rise anywhere from 20 minutes to 3 hours.

About 20 minutes before baking, cook the hamburger and chopped onion. When the onion is translucent and the meat no longer pink, drain the fat and add taco seasoning and water.

Simmer 7-10 minutes, uncovered, then gently pour into the waiting dough shell.

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees or until crust is a nice golden brown.

Top with anything you’d put on a taco: grated cheese, salsa, lettuce, tomato or avocado.

Salsa Chicken Rice Bake ~ by Sarah

I got this recipe from Mary Hunt--she has the Everyday Cheapskate column in the newspaper.  It was good--my kids loved it! **Note...this was WAY better the second day. Absolutely delicious! So much better that next time I might make it the night before and refrigerate it all day before baking it.

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups uncooked white rice
2 2/3 cups water
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups mild salsa

Directions:
Place rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place chicken breast halves into a separate saucepan, and fill the pan with water. Bring to a boil, and then turn heat to low and cook covered for 20 minutes, or until done. Remove chicken from water. When cool enough to handle, cut meat into bite-size pieces.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses. In a separate bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, onion, and salsa. Layer half of the rice, half of the chicken, half of the soup and salsa mixture, and half of the cheese mixture in the prepared dish. Repeat layers, ending with cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until bubbly.

Beef 'n Bean Enchiladas ~ by Sarah

I've had this recipe for years.  I got it from Wes's mom back when I was in college in La Grande and living with my cousin, Casey.  He'd beg me to make these all the time.  They were his favorite, by far.  Wes also loves them and begs for them often, too!  As a bonus...they're easy!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 med. onion, chopped
1 large can refried beans (any variety, but I always get "traditional")
1/2 bottle taco sauce (I get mild because I'm a wimp)
2 cans sliced olives
2 cans enchilada sauce (again, I get mild, but you can get what suits your taste)
10 large flour tortillas
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Brown ground beef and cook onion together in a large skillet.  Add beans and mix well.  (As they heat they will "melt" into the beef.)  Add taco sauce, 1 1/2 cans of olives, and about 1/4 cup enchilada sauce.

 

Mix well and simmer until heated throughout.

Meanwhile, heat enchilada sauce in a saucepan.  Pour half of it into a 9x13-inch pan.  Roll up beef mixture in tortillas and place in pan.

Top with the other half of the enchilada sauce, cheese, and 1/2 can olives.  Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes.  It does have a tendency to boil over, so I always put the pan on a cookie sheet with sides to protect the bottom of my oven.

I always serve it with Mexican-style Rice-A-Roni and corn.

Cheese Biscuits ~ by Sarah

Last summer, our neighbor girl brought these biscuits over to show off her cooking.  I ate them all and promptly sent her back across the street for the recipe.  They're easy and delicious!

Ingredients:
2 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/4 cup chilled shortening (I use white Crisco)
1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. butter, melted

Directions:
Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.  Cut in the shortening and cheddar cheese until crumbly.  Add the milk and stir to incorporate.  Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Brush with melted butter and serve immediately.

Makes 6 to 8 large biscuits or 12 small biscuits.

Twice-Baked Potatoes ~ by Sarah

I made these (from my Pioneer Woman cookbook) the other night and they were delish!  Add them to the "very fattening" section of your recipe book!  The recipe makes a huge portion (16 potato halves), so I halved it and we still had some serious leftovers.  (One half is definitely filling.)

Ingredients:
8 baking potatoes, scrubbed clean
canola or vegetable oil
8 slices thick-cut bacon, fried
1/2 pound (two sticks) butter, cut into slices
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. milk
pepper, garlic salt, and seasoned salt, to taste
2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 green onions, sliced

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  With a paper towel, rub the outside of the potatoes with canola oil.  Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked inside and the skins are slightly crisp.  Turn the oven down to 300 degrees.  Dice the fried bacon into bits.  Throw the butter, sour cream, bacon, milk, salt, and pepper into a large bowl.  While the potatoes are still hot, hold each potato in a towel and cut in half lengthwise.  With a large spoon, scrape out the insides into the bowl with the other ingredients.  Repeat until all the potatoes have been scraped.  Reserve the potato shells on a large baking sheet.  Use a potato masher to mix the ingredients together.  Stir in 1 cup of the grated cheese.  Slice the green onions.  Add them to the bowl.  Stir, taste, and adjust the seasonings as necessary.  Fill each potato half with the potato mixture and return to the baking sheet.  Top with the remaining cup of grated cheese.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are hot.

I know it sounds like they're a lot of work, but they're really not.  And they are worth the effort!