Easy Beefy Nachos

This isn't much of a recipe, just an idea really! I used my chili meat recipe for the shredded beef.

Easy Beefy Nachos

Tortilla Chip

1/2 lb Velveeta Cheese

1/4 cup Milk

1/3 lb Shredded Beef for Chili Meat (along with all of the other small ingredients you need for it click on link above for recipe)

1 cup Black Beans

**We have been eating out of our pantry and we only had Velveeta cheese... which I don't like except for in cheesy potato soup but it wasn't too bad! And normally I'd add home made refried beans on top of Nachos too... yum!! **

Warm up the chips in the oven for just a few minutes at 300 degrees. Meanwhile in a small saucepan melt 1/2 lb Velveeta cheese with about a 1/4 cup milk, just make it as creamy as you'd like, it is going to harden a little bit as it cools on the chips. In a 2 qt saucepan make the chili meat and mix in the black beans. Then just put a layer of chips on a plate, then a layer of the meat/beans then some cheese and keep doing that until it is all used up!

Shepherds Pie

This was very easy to make and we really enjoyed it!

I used this recipe but added a few things and I didn't use the same amounts that she did... and of course I used shredded beef instead of ground!

Shepherds Pie

1/2 lb Shredded Beef

abt. 3/4 can french style green beans (I used the whole thing but it was a little much so next time I'll use less!)

3 carrots, cooked and slices
lots of mashed potatoes.. like 3 cups? I didn't measure it out but you'll need enough to cover the

top of the pie, I used instant mashed potatoes

8 oz can tomato sauce

dash of Worcestershire

1 TBS parsley

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 TBS flour

1 TBS milk

(I also used the leftover potatoes from a roast chopped up in the filling)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the carrots and put then into a small pot of boiling water and cook until soft. Mix beef, tomato sauce, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, green beans, and carrots.

Mix the flour with 3 TBS water in a small bowl then mix into the beef mixture. Put mixture into a pie dish. Make the mashed potatoes and cover the top of the pie with them, put 2 or 3 vent holes in the potatoes (see picture below). Bake for 20 minutes, then take out and brush potatoes with the milk, I also sprinkled a little cheese on 'cause they were looking a little pale. :P

Chimi's and Chili Meat

These are SO yummy, growing up my parents used to make these all the time! If you have some shredded beef already cooked up they are SUPER fast to make!!

Chili meat

Shredded Beef

dash of onion powder

Chili powder (quite a bit) to taste

Cayenne pepper (pretty spicy, so depending on how hot you want it)

Salt and pepper to taste

Chimi's

Chili meat

Cheese

Beans (optional)

Tortillas

Oil for frying

Make the chili meat in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Put the meat and about and inch of water into the sauce pan. Add spices, salt and pepper to taste and let it simmer on low while you get everything else prepared, adding water as needed, it will boil out and leave the meat really flavorful.

Get your tortillas and sprinkle with cheese and if you'd like to add some beans just do one spoonful per chimi, I used black beans and cheddar cheese (the bulk of the chimi should be the meat though). In a large skillet (10-12 inch) pour enough oil to cover the bottom, put over medium high heat. This time I just rolled them in the oil instead of filling up a whole pan and letting them float around in oil to cook, either way works! Add Chili meat and roll up tightly burrito style and put a toothpick into the flap, through all layers of the tortilla to keep them closed while cooking in the oil (pictured above.) If you don't secure them they could come unrolled while frying and it would become dangerous with the hot oil popping everywhere! Fry until browned and crispy. You can eat with sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa... whatever you like to eat on this type of stuff :)

Chicken Fried Steak

This was really good and SO much easier than I thought it would be! Not the involved meal I was picturing, which is definitely a plus! I used Alton Brown's recipe from here, but I used the meat that is already really thin cuz I don't have a meat tenderizer and wasn't sure how that would work out with the bottom round!

Chicken Fried Steak

2 thin sliced beef (he says to cut a bottom round trimmed of excess fat into 1/2 inch slices then tenderize until they are 1/4 inch thick)

2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 Cup all-purpose flour

3 whole eggs, beaten

1/4 Cup vegetable oil

2 Cups chicken broth

1/2 Cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Salt and pepper each side of the meat. Place the flour into a pie plate (or shallow dish) and the eggs in another. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour. Tenderize the meat. Dredge again in flour, followed by the egg, then in the flour again. Repeat with all of the pieces of meat and let it sit 10-15 minutes before cooking.

Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12 inch sloped-sided skillet and place over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer add the meat. Cook each side until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove the steaks to a wire rack, place on a sheet pan and put it into the oven.

Add the remaining vegetable oil (or at least one tablespoon) to the pan. Whisk in 3 TBS of flour remaining from the dredging into the oil. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Whisk until it comes to a boil and thickens. Add the milk and stir until it is the right consistency for gravy, about 5-10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve the gravy over the steaks.

Irish Pasties

OH MY GOODNESS!!! You have to try these, they were so good!! I pretty much love anything with roast meat and potatoes. Two of my favorite meals are roast and beef stew, and I'm gonna have to add this one to the list!!

I found this recipe on favfamilyrecipes

Irish Pasties

1/4 Cup butter, melted
1 pound of shredded beef (I used leftovers from the freezer)
3-4 small/medium potatoes, sliced thin and cooked
Salt and pepper
1 pie crust, recipe follows
beef gravy prepared, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix in a large bowl, the potatoes, beef, butter, salt, and pepper. Roll out pie crust and cut in half (I only used one pie crust and made 2 pasties, but the filling would definitely be enough for 4) Put a good amount of filling in each crust, fold over and seal. Place each one on a greased baking sheet. Make a few small slits on the top of each one for the steam to escape. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Take out and brush tops with melted butter. Serve with gravy.

Pie Crust from here

2 sticks (1 Cup) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
2 1/4 Cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
8-10 TBS ice water

Mix flour and salt in a small bowl, add the butter and using a pastry blender chop it in until it resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in the water one Tablespoon at a time until the dough begins to gather in large clumps. Divide into 2 equal parts, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Each piece will make a 10 inch pie crust.

Beef Gravy

If you've just made the beef then use the drippings
I used some beef broth (about 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 Cups water
2 TBS corn starch
3+ tsp beef bouillon (to taste)
salt and pepper
a dash of onion powder (not too much!)

Put the water and broth or drippings into a 2 qt sauce pan. Add the beef bouillon, salt and pepper, and onion powder to taste. Mix the cornstarch with a little cold water until smooth. Pour into the pan and bring to a boil, until thickened.

Bacon Potato Torte

YUM YUM YUM!!! Definitely try this, it was so good!!!

I got this recipe from browneyedbaker's site.

I didn't make the pie crust from scratch cuz I'm a slacker, maybe I'll try it next time :) Michelle has a recipe for crust if you click on the link above! (edit: I made this for someone and I made the pie crust from scratch... I didn't get to taste it tho... so I'll have to make another one!! :P)

Bacon Potato Torte

2 pie crusts

4 slices of bacon, cooked crisp

3/4 medium red potatoes ( I didn't peel mine, but you can if you want)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup grated swiss cheese ( I used i little provolone and a little mozzarella)

2/3 cup heavy cream
1 egg yolk, whisked with a splash of water

(she added 1/4 tsp dried thyme but I didn't have any so I just skipped it and it was still really flavorful!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook the bacon til crispy. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise then slice them to make half moons. Put pie crust into your pie pan and working in circles put a layer of potatoes down to cover the bottom. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then crumble one piece of bacon. Repeat 3 more times. The pan should be nearly full. Top with the shredded cheese. If you have thyme whisk it with the cream. Slowly pour cream over the entire pie and let it seep down between the potatoes.

Cover the pie with your second crust and crimp the edges closed. Brush with the edges and top with egg wash. make some slits on the top so the steam can escape. Place on a baking sheet and bake until the edges are browned and crispy and the potatoes are cooked through. It'll be about 50-60 minutes. If the edges get too brown cover them with tin foil. Take the pie out when done and let it sit 15 minutes before serving.

Fontina Mac and Cheese

I got this recipe from annies-eats

It was good but I don't know that it is one I'll be making very often... I don't usually have fontina cheese (or heavy cream) on hand, and it isn't too cheap... but it is quite delicious!

Fontina Mac and Cheese

1 lb small or medium pasta shells

5 TBS butter, divided
1 c. heavy cream
8 oz fontina cheese, shredded
salt to taste
pinch of nutmeg
1/3 c. panko bread crumbs
1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

In a large pot of boiling salted water cook the pasta until it is just a few minutes shy of al dente.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut 4 TBS butter up into a bowl, set aside. Warm the heavy cream in a small saucepan or in the microwave and cover to keep warm. Once the pasta is done add it to the butter and stir until well coated. Stir in the warm cream and the fontina until the cheese starts to melt. Mix in salt to taste and the nutmeg. Pour mixture into a buttered 2 quart casserole dish.
In a small bowl melt the remaining 1 TBS of butter and mix with the panko bread crumbs and shredded parmesan, until it is all coated. Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over the pasta.
Bake until the cheese is bubbling and the top is golden brown, about 20 minutes, serve immediately.

Beef Stew

YUM, I love beef stew! Best part about this is how easy it was to make! As you've probably gathered from my previous posts I like to make my meat ahead then put it into the freezer for future use. It is so nice to not have to worry about cooking the meat for the meal the same day, maybe it's just me but cooking/shredding meat is not very fun and it is time consuming. And it saves so much time because I just cook a lot of it at once instead of cooking it each time a want to use it! This meat is leftover roast that I shredded and put into the freezer, so a little extra effort of shredding the beef after I've made the roast makes for a super fast meal when I need to throw something together! I guess I'm in rambling mode today... on to the recipe!

Beef Stew

4 Carrots

3 Potatoes

1 1/2 c. Shredded beef (YES shredded!!)

3 or 4 tsp Beef bouillon (add according to taste)

1 TBS corn starch

1/4 c. cold water

Salt and pepper to taste

Onion powder, just a little to give it more flavor

Peel carrots and potatoes and cut them into bite sized pieces and put into a medium/large saucepan. Cover with water so that the water is abt. an inch over the top of the vegetables. Boil for 8-10 minutes. Add the shredded beef, bouillon, salt, pepper, and onion powder. Mix the corn starch with the cold water and strain it into the stew, boil for one minute or until thickened.

Eat with a side of homemade rolls!

Calzones

Before my trip I made a few of these for my hubby to eat while I was away, someday I'll teach him how to cook for himself !:)

These turned out pretty good they were a little drier than I would've liked so I'll figure that out later. (Or you can just dip them in sauce, but you know me... too picky for my own good!)

For the dough I tweaked my mom's pizza dough recipe a little then just threw some yummy stuff together to make the filling!

Calzones

Dough:
1 c. warm water
1 TBS yeast
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp shortening
1/8 tsp garlic powder
flour (abt. 3/4 cups)

Soften the yeast in the water, add the sugar and salt. Add garlic powder and shortening. Add the flour until it is a smooth touchable dough.

Filling:
12 oz Ricotta cheese
3/4 c. Mozzarella cheese
1 TBS Italian seasoning
1 tsp Garlic salt
Salt and Pepper
20 Pepperoni, quartered
1 TBS Parmesan/Romano

I didn't measure it all out but I kinda guessed so if it isn't enough add more and just go by taste with the seasonings to make it how you like it.

With this recipe you can make 2 really big calzones (which is what I did... think half of a pizza big) or 4 smaller ones.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Separate your dough into 2 equal parts (4 for making smaller ones) and roll it out into a circle. Put the filling in half of the circle away from the edges. Fold over the other side of the dough,covering the filling. starting from one corner pinch and pull the dough up and continue around the whole edge until it is sealed, next time I'll take more detailed pictures for this step cuz it is pretty simple but I didn't really get how to do it at first. My hubby learned this trick for sealing empanadas on his mission in Argentina and he showed me how. Or if you don't know how to do that just clamp down on the edges with a fork, like I used to do :) Hopefully one of those ways makes sense or your filling will spill out all over the pan and that is never fun! ANYWAYS... put a little cornmeal down on the pan so it wont stick, and bake for about 7-10 minutes, until it is starting to get brown. If it is still doughy leave it in a little longer (I'm really good at giving instructions huh?? sorry :P)

Tortellini Bake

I just threw this together the other night... I have not been doing good with my menus lately, my trip just really threw off my groove, but hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things soon! :)

This recipe was adapted from this one here from mykitchencafe (love her recipes!)

I halved mine and changed some things so I'll give you the halved version and if you have more people to feed double it :)

Tortellini Bake

8 oz tortellini

1 c. shredded chicken breast (or cubed)

1 TBS flour

(she calls for 3/4 c. sour cream but I was out, so...)

1/2 c. half and half

1/4 c. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. chicken broth

1 1/2 c. triple cheddar shredded cheese (she calls for 2 cups for a whole recipe, but I like my cheese!!! )

Cook the tortellini for 2-3 minutes, drain and set aside. I used a bag of shredded chicken from my freezer, if you don't have that you can cook and shred some or put 1 TBS oil into a skillet and cook the chicken until it is fully done then cut it into bite size chunks. Put the chicken in to skillet and sprinkle with the flour then add the chicken broth, stir until thickened. Add the cream cheese and half and half, by the way it was SO good, really creamy (or just use sour cream if you have it). Spray a 9x9 pan with cooking spray Put tortellini into the bottom and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Pour chicken and sauce mixture over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Cover with tin foil and cook it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until it is slightly browned around the edges and the sauce is bubbling.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

SO GOOD!!! I made this Saturday, I was planing on making it Thursday but didn't have time so the chicken was in the fridge thawed and had to be used, we didn't get home Saturday until about 9:30, I put Livvy to bed and decided I still wanted dinner! So we ate this at 11 o'clock at night! haha anyways just thought I'd share how unorganized my life is :P

I got this recipe here off of my kitchen cafe.

I halved the recipe for us, but I'll put the whole one on here. the only thing I did differently was the cheese, I used provolone because that is what we had and I'm not a huge fan of swiss cheese.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 thick chicken breasts
25 Ritz Crackers (I used the wheat ones)
1/2 cups plain bread crumbs, (or 4 slices of hearty bread)
6 TBS butter, melted
8 thin slices deli ham (I got the Boars Head ham from the Publix deli, YUM!!)
4-6 slices provolone cheese
salt and pepper
3 large eggs
2 TBS Dijon Mustard (I used honey dijon)
1 cup all purpose flour

Top each slice of ham with 1 or 1 1/2 pieces of cheese, roll tightly and set aside. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel (of course cut all the nasty stuff off first!!) Cut a pocket in the thickest part of the chicken breast and stuff each one with 2 rolls of ham and cheese. Pull the top flap of chicken over the rolls and press to seal. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, covered for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Pulse crackers and bread in a food processor until coarsely ground, or if you are like me and don't have a food processor... put it in a Ziploc bag and lightly beat it with a rolling pin :P works like a charm. Drizzle in the butter and mix it until it is all well incorporated. Bake the crumbs for 3-5 minutes stirring them every minute and half or so, so they don't burn or get too brown in one area. Transfer the crumbs into a shallow dish.
In another shallow dish beat the eggs and mustard. In ANOTHER dish put the 1 cup flour. Remove the chicken from the fridge and coat with the flour then egg and last dredge it in the crumbs.
Transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet and bake on the lowest rack until the bottom is browned, 8-10 minutes. Move it to the middle rack and reduce the heat to 400 degrees. Bake until it is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through (160 degrees) about 25-30 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Orange Chicken

OH MY GOSH!!!! This was seriously SO good!!! I will definitely make this again, it is a little time consuming but luckily I had my friend Jen here to help me, and she mixed up all of the sauces while I cut and cooked the chicken.

I served it with some white rice and mixed vegetables, fried rice and fortune cookies are on my "to make list" but I figured I'd try one at a time because that would be a lot to take on for one meal!

I got this recipe from here on cdkitchen.com

Orange Chicken

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 2 inch pieces

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp salt

pepper

Oil for frying

1/2 cup corn starch + 1 TBS

1/4 cup flour

1 TBS minced ginger root (I shredded it with the really small cheese grater... worked great!!!)

1 TBS minced garlic (same thing with the grater!)

1 dash crushed hot red chilies

1/4 cup water

1 tsp sesame oil

Orange Chicken Sauce

1 1/2 TBS soy sauce

1 1/2 TBS water

5 TBS sugar

5 TBS white vinegar

Cut the chicken into 2 inch cubes, place in a large bowl. Stir in the egg, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of oil, mix well. Stir 1/2 cup cornstarch and flour together. Add the chicken to cornstarch mixture. Heat oil to 375 degrees (I never know how hot my oil really is...) Fry until golden brown or crisp, 3-4 minutes. Put onto a baking sheet covered with paper towel. Set aside.

Heat wok (I used a 10 inch skillet) for 15 seconds over high heat. Add ginger and garlic (and if you'd like to add the green onions do it now, 1/4 cup chopped) and the crushed chili. Add the orange sauce and bring to a boil. Add cooked chicken until well mixed. Add water into 1 tablespoon of cornstarch until smooth (for thickening) Add the chicken and heat until thickened. Stir in 1/2 TBS oil and the sesame oil. Also you can add the zest of one orange for flavor, I didn't have an orange so I just skipped it.

P.S. For the rice put a cup of rice with 2 cups water into a medium sauce pan over high heat and cover. Bring it to a boil and let it boil for a few minutes then turn it to low and let it cook for 15-20 minutes. Until the water is gone and the rice is soft.

Navajo Tacos (Fried Bread)

This is my "Birthday Meal"! Growing up my mom always let us choose what was for dinner on our birthdays and I always chose fried bread!

Fried Bread

2 cups flour

1/4 TBS salt

3/4 TBS baking powder

1/8 cup shortening

water

Mix the flour salt and baking powder, then add the shortening. Add water until it is a smooth dough (I guess I'll have to actually pay attention to how much I put next time!!) Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough for 2 minutes then shape into balls (make 7-8) then cover and let rise for about 30 minutes (not gonna lie I only let them rest for 10-15 minutes... but I'm impatient! :P) Meanwhile get a 3 qt saute pan (I think that is what it is called :) it is like a skillet but has tall sides) and put enough canola oil in it to deep fry the dough.

Roll out each ball into a really thin disc, I should have taken pictures because it is hard to remember how thick or what diameter they are rolled out to without seeing it... oops! They are pretty thin and then once you deep fry them they puff up and you don't want to leave it to thick or it will be too dense. Deep fry until it is golden brown on one side then flip and cook until golden on the other side. I use tongs to flip and get out and set it onto a baking sheet that is covered with paper towels or a brown paper bag to soak up the excess oil.

Serve with Chili Meat, Refried Beans, Shredded Cheddar cheese, chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, hot sauce, and whatever else your little heart desires!!!

Chili Meat

I used leftover roast meat that we had in the freezer or you can get beef chunks and shred them up

Chili Powder to taste

Cayenne Pepper if you like it spicy

Onion powder just a dash or two

salt to taste!!

Roast

Ok so this is my all time FAVORITE meal, it is so easy and PERFECT for Sunday dinner. I just throw it all into the crock pot before church, set it on high and let it cook for the 4 hours we're at church... Mike is the choir directer so we get to be there for an EXTRA hour! :) Then when I get home, make some rolls and let it cook for another 30 minutes to an hour on low. Then eat and eat until you can't eat anymore!

EDIT: It is even better if you let it cook on low for 8 hours. It is so tender! I have also tried using sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes and it was really yummy!

Roast

Carrots

Potatoes

Oil (for browning)

garlic salt

onion powder

salt and pepper

Pour a tablespoon or so of oil into a skillet, sprinkle some of the onion powder, garlic salt(just a little), salt, and pepper into the oil, brown all sides of the meat. Put into the crock pot. Peel carrots, wash potatoes and cut in half if large, or if they are small you can keep them whole. Put water half way up the meat sprinkle more salt and pepper and a little more onion powder. cook for 4-5 hours on high! mmmmm seriously SO good!

For Gravy, get all of the meat, carrots, and potatoes out of the crock pot then strain the drippings into a sauce pan. Add some beef broth or bouillon if it needs more flavor. Mix 2 TBS of corn starch with some water... just enough that you can mix it around and it isn't too thick. Bring the drippings to a boil and whisk in the corn starch, let it boil for about a minute until it is thick.

Baja Chicken Tacos

I made this with my pitas instead of taco shells.

This recipe is from Publix Apron's Simple Meals http://www.publix.com/aprons/meals/MainDish/SimpleMeal.do?mealId=4812&mealGroupId=1004 They had a sample at the store and it was good so I decided to try it out myself! They used chicken thighs but I used chicken breasts instead... you know me and my chicken issues! :)

Baja Chicken Tacos

1 lb chicken

1 avocado

1/4 cup sour cream

2 TBS taco seasoning

1 (8oz) can pineapple tidbits (drained)

1/4 cup mild salsa

1/4 cup diced tomatoes

I used some shredded chicken that I had in the freezer (makes life so much easier!)

The recipe says: Preheat a grill pan on high for 2-3 minutes, season the chicken with the taco seasoning (wash hands) Place chicken on pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until 165 degrees F. Cut chicken into small pieces.

My way, just heat up the shredded chicken in a skillet and season with the taco seasoning. Combine chicken with the pineapple then stir in the salsa (Ok so this is kinda ridiculous but I blended up the salsa so that it wasn't chunky!). Put a few thin slices of avocado into each pita (or taco shell) Fill with the chicken mixture and top with sour cream and tomatoes... or if your me then just the sour cream! You can add extra salsa too. mmm now I want to make it again!

Cheesy Potato Soup

Let me just start by saying this soup is SO good! And I think that the fact that it is so easy makes it even better!

My mom made this soup a lot when I lived at home and in my recipe book it says it is from the Kitchen of Brenda Green, so I guess I owe a thanks to Aunt Brenda because this is one of my favorites!

(Oh, and I of course took the celery out!)

Cheesy Potato Soup

1 bag California style vegetables (carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower)

8-10 potatoes

1 pound Velveeta cheese (You can also use cheddar cheese but it wont melt as well)

10 chicken bouillon cubes

1 cup flour

2 cups cold water

Peel and cut the potatoes into bite size cubes, put into a large pot with the vegetables and bouillon cubes. Fill the pot with water so it is an inch above the vegetables. Boil for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes and vegetables are tender.

Mix the cup of flour with 2 cups of cold water and strain (so there aren't clumps) it into the pot while stirring to thicken.

Take the pot off of the heat, cut the cheese into small cubes and stir it into the soup until it is melted. I always serve it with a side of rolls.

P.S. the original recipe calls for 4 carrots, 1/2 head of cauliflower, and 1 bunch of broccoli, so if you'd rather use fresh veggies these are the amounts! ok ok and if you DO like celery 4 stalks... but I'm warning you, it probably wont taste as good!! :)

Cheesy Lasagna

I got this recipe from my better crocker Sunday Dinner Cookbook and I changed it up quite a bit so I could use the cheeses that I had on hand. I also used italian seasoning instead of all of the individual fresh herbs.

Cheesy Lasagna

1/2 cup margarine or butter

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

4 cups milk

2 slices provolone cheese

3 slices muenster cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 cups ricotta cheese (I replaced the cottage cheese with ricotta cuz I like it better and I already had some)

1 TBS italian seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

12 uncooked lasagna noodles

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook at 350 Degrees for 35-40 minutes

Melt the margarine or butter in 2-quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour and salt. Stir constantly until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in the milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.

Stir in provolone, muenster, mozzarella, and 1/2 cup parmasean cheese. Cook and stir over low heat until the cheeses are melted. Mix in the italian seasoning and garlic powder.

Put 1/4 of the cheese mixture into a 9x13 pan then dot with 3/4 cup ricotta cheese then lay down 4 noodles and repeat that pattern until it is all used up. Bake uncovered and let it stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Daddy's Mac and Cheese

I am so blessed to have grown up with parents who make Delicious food!! This recipe my dad made up... like he does... just throwing things together, little of this, little of that and the results... something AMAZING!!! :) So I tried to measure the things out so I could tell you how to make it... but just know it isn't exact.

Macaroni and Cheese

1 lb Macaroni Pasta

6 TBS butter

1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/3 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/3 cup Cream Cheese

1/2 cup Sour Cream

2 TBS Parmesan/Romano (I have a mix of this cheese but you can just put Parmesan if you don't)

1/4 cup milk + 1/2 cup of milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

Topping

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs or crushed corn flakes

3 TBS butter

Cook the Macaroni as directed, Drain and return to pan. Add the butter and cream cheese to the pasta, stirring until melted. Add cheddar, mozzarella, cream cheese, Parmesan/Romano, and sour cream, mix until cheese is melted. Add 1/4 cup Milk. Salt and Pepper to taste. Spread macaroni into a 9x13 pan. Pour 1/2 cup milk over it evenly to make it creamier.

Topping:

Melt the 3 TBS butter and mix it with the bread crumbs or crushed corn flakes. Pour evenly over the top of the macaroni.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes

Deep Dish Pizza

I got this recipe from:
http://annies-eats.com/2010/01/21/chicago-style-deep-dish-pizza/


Deep Dish Pizza

1 1/2 cups + 2 TBS All purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal (I used white because that is what I had)
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 1/8 tsp instant yeast
1/2 cup + 2 TBS room temperature water
1 1/2 TBS unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp olive oil
2 TBS unsalted butter, softened

For toppings I used
Sauce - recipe here
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Pepperoni
Bacon bits

Mix all dry ingredients, add water and melted butter. Mix on low until fully incorporated, 1-2 minutes. Knead until glossy and smooth (on medium/low speed for 4-5 minutes) Coat a medium bowl with the olive oil. Let it rise in the bowl tightly covered with plastic wrap for 45-60 minutes.

To laminate the dough, turn the dough out onto a dry workspace, toll into 8 by 6 inch rectangle. Using an offset spatula (I just used a butter knife) spread the softened butter over the surface leaving 1/2 inch around the edges. starting with the sort end toll into a tight cylinder. With the seam side down, flatten the cylinder into a 9x2 inch rectangle. Gold into thirds, like a business letter, pinch the seams to form a ball, and return to oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise in the fridge until nearly doubled 40-50 minutes.




Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat a round 9 inch cake pan with 2 TBS olive oil.
Transfer the dough ball to dry counter and roll into a 13 inch disk about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer dough into pan, lightly press into the pan, working it into the corners and one inch up the sides. Put the toppings on and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes, let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

Empanadas

Ok so these were good, because of the filling, but the dough was NOT good!! I got the recipe off of about.com and it was just really hard and didn't taste good. So I wont give you that recipe.

My husband went to Argentina for his mission and he had empanadas and he loves them so I tried to make them, but I'll have to get a different recipe for the dough (anyone have a good one?)

Empanada Filling

2 lbs ground beef ( I used shredded beef from the roast I made the other day YUM!)

2 small potatoes, diced and boiled until soft

onion salt

garlic powder

1 cup beef broth

1 tsp oil

Dice the potatoes and put them in a small saucepan cover with water and boil until soft (about 8 minutes) Cook the meat and add all other ingredient except the potatoes. Let it cook until the liquid is almost gone. Fold in the potatoes. Fill the empanadas and fry them in oil or bake them (I did half baked and half fried)