Mexican Casserole

Thanks to my mother-in-law Renee, I have permission to share this recipe with you all. The first time I saw this recipe I was very hesitate to make it. I've never been a fan of Enchilada's nor the Enchilada sauce. But friends, this recipe is YUMMY! It may take a little longer to prepare & cook than some of my other recipes, but it's totally worth waiting for. At least I think so!

Ingredients

• 1lb Ground Beef, browned & drained
• 1 can Old El Paso Mild (red) Enchilada Sauce
• 1 can Refried Beans
• 8oz Grated Cheddar (any: sharp, mild, mix Monterey Jack, etc)
• 8-10 Flour or Corn Tortillas (Flour for more Burrito taste, Corn for Enchilada taste)

Cooking Directions

• Cover bottom of 9x13 baking Dish w/ a spoonful of Sauce (just to prevent sticking) **I've actually come to find out that spraying a little oil in the bottom, helps the sticking too** 
• Mix half of the remaining enchilada sauce with the beans
• Then half with the cooked meat
• Layer: Tortillas, beans, meat, cheese
• Repeat until all is layered
• Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 30-40 minutes

**Optional: Serve with sour cream, salsa or Jalapenos**

Note: Save money and eat healthy: Just as popular with the family meatless. Simple use 2 cans of beans & maybe a little more cheese!

Apology

I am very sorry that there are no photo's to go along with each of my recipes I have posted. I just recently decided that I was going to blog all of my recipes for my family and friends to use. The next time I bake/cook them, I will be sure to post before and after photos. Once again, I do apologize.

Burritos

Here is a recipe that I snagged from the internet that I cooked a few months back. This to is a recipe that you can change ingredients & make it tasty and possibly even better than the original. My family & I LOVE Mexican food. We are always cooking tacos or going to our favorite restaurant just down the road from our house. It's easy, it's yummy and it does not require a ton of work. What Mom does not like that?!?

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground Beef/Turkey
• 1 Package Taco Seasoning Mix
• 1 (16oz) can Refried Beans
• 8oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 package Flour Tortillas

Cooking Directions

• In a medium skillet, brown ground beef thoroughly.
• Mix Sauce as directed on package.
• Mix in refried beans
• Place 2-3 heaping teaspoons on Tortillas; then add cheese
• Wrap each tortilla and place in a baking dish
• Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 10 minutes

**You can add cheese on the top or you can even make this a Chili Cheese Burrito just by adding your favorite can of Chili inside the tortilla & wrapping it up then place in heated oven!**

We like to Rub it

This past Easter we tried a new Spice rub for our Chicken & Ribs we were cooking for the whole entire family. I'm not sure if my husband had help with this rub from his dad or if he made it up on his own. But either way, it turned out great and everyone seemed to have enjoyed it.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tbsp. Black Pepper
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 2 tsp. Seasoning Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Chili Powder

Tell us what you think of this rub. We like it & I hope you do as well!

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

This is another one of my families FAVORITE. My husband says this is close to Red Lobsters Biscuits. Not really sure about that, but these cheesy & tasty biscuits are sure to make the family happy. **I got this recipe out of my Betty Crocker cookbook**

Ingredients

• 2 cups of Bisquick Mix
• 2/3 cup of Milk
• 1 cup of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/4 cup of Melted Butter

Cooking Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine Bisquick, milk, cheese and a Pinch of Garlic powder until a soft dough forms. 
• On a greased cookie sheet, drop dough 10-12 spoonfuls about 2 inches apart.
• Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
• While biscuits are baking, in a small bowl, stir melted butter and garlic poweder together until well mixed.
• Immediately as the biscuits come out of the oven, brush each one with the garlic butter before removing from the cookie sheet.
• Serve warm & Enjoy!!

Oven Fried Potato Wedges

I told you that you could use an old recipe & change it up a bit by adding or eliminating ingredients to make it different. I've baked potato wedges in the past but only seasoned them with salt & pepper. This time, I added 2 more spices & 1 more ingredient and they turned out better than I expected.

Ingredients

• 7-8 Small to Medium Idaho Potatoes(washed & cut into wedges)
• 1/3 cup of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• 2 tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Paprika
• 1/4tsp. Pepper

Cooking Directions

• Preheat Oven to 375
• In a large Ziploc Bag, combine Olive Oil, Garlic Powder, Parmesan Cheese, Salt, paprika and pepper. 
• Take sliced potatoes and place them in the Bag.
• Seal bag tightly and shake. Making sure all the potatoes are coated
• Place each potato wedge on a slightly greased cookie sheet.
• Bake for approx. 45 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown.

Hashbrown Casserole

This happens to be my families FAVORITE!!! This is a true example of a comfort food. This is one of the recipes that can be reheated & used the very next day. We typically cook/eat this as our main course for dinner along with a salad or vegetables. If you are looking to have a "meatless" night, or just so happens you are a Vegetarian, this is a recipe that could work for you. If you are a working parent & don't have a whole lot of time to prepare a meal like this, you can prepare this meal in advance & just seal it tightly and place it in the fridge until it's time to start cooking.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs of Frozen Hash browns, thawed
• 16oz Sour Cream
• 1/2 cup Chopped Onions (I omit this for my family)
• 2 cups of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 cup of melted butter
• 1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup (Use Cream of Mushroom if you want it to be meatless)
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Pepper

Cooking Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Mix Hashbrowns, sour cream, cheese, Cream of Chicken & butter in a large mixing bowl. 
• Add mixture to a slightly buttered casserole dish
• Bake at 400 degrees for approx. 45 minutes or until hash browns are fully cooked.

Oven Fried Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of Bisquick Mix
• 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (I used the container from the store)
• 3/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 3/4 tsp. Salt
• 3/4 tsp. Paparika
• 1 1/2 lbs Chicken Tenders
• 2 Eggs slightly beaten
• Cooking Spray

Cooking Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Line baking sheet w/ foil & spray with Cooking Spray 
• Mix Bisquick, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt & paprika in a gallon size Ziploc Bag.
• Dip tenders into egg & then drop into the bag.
• Seal bag and shake until each piece is coated.
• Place each tender on greased baking sheet
• Repeat steps 4-6 until each tender has been coated & placed on baking sheet.
• Spray each tender w/ a little cooking spray
• Bake 6-7 minutes, turn each tender over and continue to cook for 8-10 minutes. 

**Photos soon to come**