School is in session!!!

So, that means I am in desperate need of quick and easy meals!!!! This is definitely a kid favorite in our house! Thanks Big Red Kitchen for coming to my rescue :O)

White Castle-like Sliders

1/2 cup dried onion flakes
2 pounds ground chuck- 80/20 ground beef
1/2 t. seasoned salt
6 slices cheddar cheese
24 small party rolls
24 dill pickle slices

Evenly spread the onions on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently press the ground beef on top of the onion flakes. Press evenly making one giant patty. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Using a paper towel, pat the excess grease from the top of the patty. Top with cheddar cheese, return to oven for 2 more minutes. Remove from oven, let set 5 minutes then cut into 24 patties. Slice open and separate each party roll. Place bottom of rolls on a large platter. Using a spatula lift patty with onion layer onto each bun bottom. Top each slider with a pickle slice then the bun lid. Serve immediately.

Makes 24 Sliders.

* I think next time we will cut back on the onion flakes - just a tad too much for our tastes!

Back to School Breakfast...

Man, where did the summer go? I can't believe the kiddos have already been in school a whole week?! I need some back to school breakfast ideas!!! What are y'all cooking at your house? My oldest loves French Toast and this is his favorite recipe! It's my favorite because it's quick and easy!!!

Favorite French Toast

4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
12 slices white bread
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
Toppings: syrup, powdered sugar, whipped cream, strawberries, etc...

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add the milk, brown sugar and nutmeg; stir well to combine. Soak bread slices in the egg mixture until saturated. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Brown slices on both sides, sprinkle with cinnamon and serve hot. Add whatever toppings you desire. Enjoy!

Another Go-To Meal...

This is a true family favorite for all in our house! I found it forever ago at Real Mom Kitchen and it quickly became a go-to meal for us! This is a perfect recipe to use when you have no time to spend in the kitchen!

Enchilada Style Burritos

8 frozen prepared beef and bean burritos
2 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
1-1/4 cups water
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1-1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp beef bouillon granules
3/4 tsp ground cumin
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Mexican Cheddar

Place frozen burritos in a greased 9x13-in. baking dish; set aside. In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually stir in water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the tomato sauce, chili powder, bouillon, cumin and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until thickened. Pour over the burritos. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until heated through. Add any additional toppings that you desire.

Another Kid Favorite :O)

Melanie, this one is for you! You said you wanted some quick and easy meals - well it doesn't get any quicker or easier with this one! My kids give this one a 100 stars!!!!!!

Fish Po'Boys

1-2 pkg. fish tenders, we like Gorton's the best
1 bag coleslaw, with mix included
1 bag hoagie rolls

Mix your coleslaw and refrigerate until ready. Bake your tenders according to directions. Then assemble your sandwich!

This cold weather has me in the mood for chili!!!

This recipe comes from my favorite Aunt Linda. She used to make this all time, but she used to call it Rice Enchilada Casserole. I have no idea why?! Last time I checked - there is no ranch style beans in enchiladas?! Well, whatever you call it - I call it mmm-mmm good!!!

My husband did not grow up in Texas, so he had never had Wolf Brand Chili before. He assumed it must taste like all other canned chili he'd had, dog-food as he described it once! Well, he couldn't be farther from the truth!!! The first time I made this, I made it for him and his brother! ;) Of course I did not tell them what was in it. Both of those guys went back 3 times!!! Finally, I couldn't hold it in any longer - I told them what was in it and they about spit their bite out!!! Funniest thing ever!!! After the shock wore off, they didn't care and kept on eating!!!

It is also a favorite of Cindy's husband!!! He asks for it all the time!!! I love it because it's so easy!!!! If you give it a try - I know you'll love it too!

Texas Chili Casserole

1 lb. Hamburger meat
1 cn. Ranch Style Beans
1 cn. Wolf Brand Chili
1-2 cups Cooked Rice
2 cups Cheddar Cheese

Cook your rice and set aside. Cook your meat and drain. Add your beans and chili to your meat and heat on medium for about 5 minutes. Take off the heat and add your rice a little at a time until mixed well. Put in a casserole dish and add your cheese on top. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Goes well on a rainy day with saltine crackers! Enjoy :O)

*You could even add toppings if you want, like green onions and sour cream. The possibilities are endless.

Another recipe that's perfect for fall...

Thank you Heidi, for this wonderful quick and easy meal idea!!! It really hit the spot!

CHEESY HAMBURGER HASH

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 bag frozen O'brien diced potatoes, the kind with onions and peppers

1 can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained

2 Tbsp parsley (we did a little less)

1/2 Tbsp garlic powder (we added fresh garlic)

1 - 2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Cook ground beef, then drain but leave a small amount of the fat in the pan to cook the potatoes in. Heat remaining fat in pan on medium heat. Add frozen potatoes, cover and cook 10 minutes; stir occasionally. Season potatoes with salt and pepper to taste. To the potatoes, add beef, tomatoes, parsley and garlic powder; stir well. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Stir and pat mixture down. Sprinkle with cheese and cover and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Quick snapshot, but OH SO GOOD!!!

This is Shredded Beef for Tacos that I've posted here in the past, but had no photo to go with it. Well, here it is finally. This is a wonderfully easy meal, which seems to be my ongoing theme these days. Just throw the meat in there frozen - it can't get any easier than that!! Let me know if you give it a try.

Quick, Easy and YUMMY!!!

I got this idea from Jenny over at Picky Palate. I just LOVE all of her recipes! I wanted to try this because we've been needing some simple but tasty recipes and let me tell ya, this one hit the spot! Of course her's turned out way prettier than mine, but I had one little one that was kinda pretty!! ;0) Here is my version:

Bar-b-Que Chicken Pizza Roll-ups

1 can Pillsbury Pizza dough

Ranch dressing

Rotisserie chicken, chopped up with bar-b-que sauce mixed in ( I used Sweet Baby Ray's...our fave around here!)

1 cup cheese ( I used Pizza cheese which has mozzarella, smoked provolone, romano and parmesan)

Ranch dressing and Bar-b-Que for dipping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Open the pizza dough and spread out into a rectangle. Drizzle with ranch dressing and spread evenly over the dough. Next add bar-b-que chicken and your cheese of choice evenly over the dough. Starting with the long end of the dough roll it up into a long log. With a sharp knife slice about 1 inch pieces and place onto a greased baking sheet. **HINT** , if you place the cut side up onto the baking sheet they might turn out a little prettier...I didn't notice that until the end! Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve with ranch or bar-b-que for dipping.

Tara

Help - I need quick and easy meals!!!

This new school year is CRAZY!!! I have four kids at four different schools - and no one rides the bus!!! (I know, that's my choice) My oldest has football practice everyday, I'm in CBS twice a week, and then there's church and youth group throughout the week, and choir for my daughter - not to mention homework!!! I know that sounds chaotic but actually two of my kids are taking a break from sports!!! And the youngest is too afraid of sports!!! ;) lol... Anyway, all of this to say - I really need some quick and easy meal ideas from all of you!!!

Keeping with that theme, here's a recipe I found over at Getting it Together. I changed it up a little to make it easier for me and to fit our tastes. Thanks Chrissy for making my life a little less hectic. Consider yourself exempt from my little challenge today to all my other fellow food-bloggers!!!

Taco Pizza

1 tube of refrigerated pizza dough
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pkg. taco seasoning
2/3 cup bottled chunky salsa
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup baked tortilla chips, coarsley crushed
sour cream and/or salsa

Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly coat a 12-inch pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pat dough evenly into a prepared pan. Prick crust all over with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook the beef and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Add the package of taco seasoning and cook accordingly. Add 2/3 cup salsa. Top hot crust with meat mixture. Bake 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with tomatoes and cheese. Bake 1-2 minutes more or until cheese melts. To serve, top with lettuce and tortilla chips. If desired, serve with sour cream and/or additional salsa. Enjoy!!!

I'm all about easy meals...

especially for the summer when the kids are home. We tend to get busy playing, and don't really want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. If you are the same, then give this recipe a try. I saw it in a Betty Crocker magazine while standing in line at the grocery store. My whole family really liked it!

Baked Chicken Panzanella

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used Tyson chicken strips, cut up)
1 can diced tomatoes with garlic, onion, and oregano, drained
1/4 cup sliced green onions (about 4 medium)
1 pkg. (5 oz) Italian seasoned croutons
1/4 cup Italian dressing
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sliced fresh basil leaves (I just sprinkled a little dry basil on)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In an ungreased 2 quart baking dish, layer chicken, tomatoes, green onions, and croutons. Drizzle with Italian dressing. Cover with foil. Bake 20 minutes. Uncover; top with cheese. Bake about 10 minutes longer or until hot and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with basil.

BLT Blowout...

As usual, the other day Tara and I were discussing what we were making for dinner. I told her about the Betty Crocker email I had gotten and thought the BLT wrap looked really good. It was a good thing too because my pantry was bare and those ingredients were about all I had. Well, she had the same ingredients on hand too. So, we both made the same dinner Monday night. Being a recipe follower - I made it exactly as I was instructed to!!! ;) lol... It was very good but Tara's version might have been better. I think the Ranch dressing that she added probably took it up a notch. Guess I'll have to do it that way next time!!!

Kathy's BLT Wraps

8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
2 cups bite-size pieces lettuce
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 large tomato, chopped
1/3 cup mayo or salad dressing
6 flour tortillas

Toss all ingredients except tortillas. Spread one-sixth of bacon mixture on each tortilla. Fold up bottom third of each tortilla; roll up to form cone shape with folded end at bottom. Enjoy!

Tara's BLT Wraps

Ingredients:

• chopped lettuce
• chopped tomatoes
• 6-8 slices of cooked, crumbled bacon
• chopped avocado
  
• couple squirts of Ranch dressing
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and wrap it up!

Tara

Rachel from Rachel VS. "The Kitchen" is celebrating her 100th post today!!! Congrats Rachel!!! She's also having a giveaway - so go on over and check it out!!!

Chicken Tortellini Bake...

This is a great recipe that I found over at My Kitchen Cafe. The only changes we made were that we added garlic. Excuse the messy photo - I forgot to take the photo beforehand and that's all that was left!!!

Chicken Tortellini Bake

16 ounce package of cheese tortellini
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups (about 2 chicken breasts) chicken cut up into bite size pieces
3 green onions finely chopped, white and green parts
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup sour cream
2-4 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook tortellini for 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Brown the chicken for 1-2 minutes and add the fresh mushrooms, garlic and green onions, cooking until chicken is done and mushrooms are golden brown. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened. Mix in sour cream until mixture is creamy and slightly thickened. Spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray. Pour tortellini in bottom of 9X13 pan. Sprinkle half the cheese over tortellini. Put cooked chicken/sauce mixture on top and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Bake covered with tin foil at 350 for 20 minutes, uncover and bake for additional 10-15 minutes until bubbly and golden brown around the edges.

An Award and Pizza Casserole...

Or what my kids like to call "Bubble Pizza"! This is so good that even the BIG kids in your house will love it!!! Yes, you're the BIG kid I'm talking about!!! ;)

Bubble Pizza

2 cups pizza cheese
16 oz. browned sausage (or pepperoni, hamburger, or bacon)
1 jar of pizza sauce
2 tubes buttermilk biscuits
*Note: I don't put veggies in this b/c my kiddos don't like them, but feel free to add whatever you would order on your own pizza.

Brown and drain the meat. Cut the 2 tubes of biscuits into quarters. Put the biscuits into a bowl along with the jar of pizza sauce. Add the meat and any other toppings you may have. Mix it all together. Pour into a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. After baking for 20 minutes, take it out and add your cheese. Now pop it back in the over for 10 more minutes. Enjoy!



Heidi, from Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi was so sweet to send me the Kreativ Blogger Award. Thanks Heidi, I sure appreciate it!!! :o)

There are rules to this award, so here they are:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.


I don't know if anyone will find any of these things interesting, but here goes:

1. Been married to my best friend for 17 years!!! I know this is wierd... but I really love watching him do yard work! One would think it would be nice of me to help him out - nope, I just watch!!! I do visit with him to keep him company though!!! What a sweet wife he has!!! ;) lol...

2. I love summertime because that means I have all of my kids home with me! I hate it when school starts in the fall!!! I know, you're thinking I'm not normal!!! So, please forgive me for not posting more - I'm taking advantage of these precious few months I have my kiddos all to myself!!!

3. I HATE to shop! I hate going to the grocery store and Wal-mart weekly! And believe it or not, I even hate shopping for myself!!! Which is why I tend to not buy trendy clothes! I need things that will always be in style. I only really go what you would consider "fun shopping" twice a year - once for school clothes and the other is for Christmas gifts. And I try to do online shopping whenever I can get away with it! I know - I'm definitely not normal!!!

4. I hate getting shots but I don't mind getting them in the mouth from the dentist!!! Yes, I'm a wierdo!!!

5. I have a bad habit of eating ice! I know - pretty annoying!!! That just reminds me... it's time to schedule my dental appointment!

6. I'm donating my hair to Locks of Love at the end of summer!

7. I LOVE to eat and try new recipes. I don't eat low-fat anything!!! I eat what I want when I want - as long as I'm hungry for it. If you're interested, here's how I stay thin!

I would like to pass this award along to:
Jamie from Mom's Cooking Club
Penny from Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen
Tina from Mommy's Kitchen
Teresa from A Blog About Food
Delectable Dining
Rachel from Rachel VS. "The Kitchen"
Kim from The Ungourmet

No1here's newest creation...

My husband is the KING of throwing things together and making a wonderful meal. I didn't feel like cooking the other night, so he goes into the pantry and the fridge and says "I have it!" I wish I had that gift!!! Here's what he came up with...

Poor Man's Ceviche

2 Tilapia fillets
1 can black beans, drained
2/3 cup frozen corn
chopped tomato
juice of 2-3 limes
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
chopped cilantro
salt & pepper

Cook the fish the same way as in the fish taco recipe. In the meantime, mix the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl. Add your cooked fish, and give another stir. We ate this with Tostito Scoops.

Burrito Battle...

Well, I finally got around to trying Heidi's Brown Bag Burritos! They were very good!!! Much like Taco Bell's! I don't know... we're a little partial, we really love my mil's recipe best!!! We really love the garlic flavor in it. Both are great though. Guess you'll have to try both and you be the judge! Be sure to keep me posted! :o)

Brown Bag Burritos

1 lb. ground beef
1 can refried beans
2/3 c. enchilada sauce
1/4 c. water
1/3 c. minced onion
1/2 TBSP chili powder
1/2 TBSP garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 c. shredded colby/jack
10 flour tortillas

Brown and drain meat. Add all ingredients, but tortillas. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Fill tortillas and roll up. Serve with shredded lettuce, cheese, sour cream and salsa

Gram's Famous Burritos

1 1/2 lbs. hamburger meat
leftover pinto beans
1 8oz. jar Picante sauce
garlic powder, to taste
black pepper, to taste
Burrito tortillas

She makes about 4 cups dried pinto beans and has a meal with them and then refrigerates the leftovers. Then she cooks her hamburger meat and drains it. Then she adds her leftover beans to the skillet of meat to warm. Then add the picante sauce, garlic powder, and pepper to taste. She wraps all her burritos in saran wrap and puts them in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks, but I promise you they will not last that long!!! Or if you do have extras, you can freeze them!!!

Two Fun Favorites for the Kiddos!!!

Taco Chicken Fingers

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbs. milk
3 cups crushed tortilla chips
3 Tbs. mild taco seasoning
garnish: salsa, sour cream, guacamole

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut each chicken breast into 1/2 inch strips. In a large shallow bowl, whisk mayonnaise and milk until blended and smooth. Place tortilla chips in a resealable plastic bag. Using a rolling pin, crush chips into fine crumbs. In another large shallow bowl, toss crushed tortilla chips with taco seasoning; mix well. Toss chicken strips first in mayonnaise mixture, then in crushed tortilla chips. Place on prepared baking sheet - do not overlap. Bake until just browned and chicken is cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. Serves: 8-10



In the background is Potato Slabs, that I found over on Amber's Delectable Delights. These were awesome!!! My entire family devoured them!!!

Katie Lee Joel's Award-Winning Burger

Okay Cindy, you said you were in the mood for a Patty Melt!!! Well, take a look at this! It's a cross between a hamburger and grilled cheese!!! YUMMMM!!!!

This burger is a creation of Katie lee Joel's grandmother who made the burger with cheap ingredients during tough times. She was crowned this year's queen of the Burger Bash with this winning recipe!!! (She also has written The Comfort Table, if you're interested.)

So, I figured this would be the best recipe for us to try!!! Let me know how it goes, if you beat me to it!!!

The Logan County Hamburger

1 pound ground beef (85 percent lean)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 medium yellow onion, half grated, the other half thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 slices white bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
12 slices American cheese, optional

In a medium bowl, combine the beef, egg, grated onion, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined. Form into thin patties. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the burgers about 3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Drain the grease from the skillet. In the same skillet, place six slices of bread, butter side down. Top each with a slice of cheese, if desired, some onions and a burger. Top with remaining slices of cheese, if using, and bread, butter side up. Cook each sandwich until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Serve with mustard, ketchup, pickles, or any other desired hamburger toppings. Makes 6 burgers.

Thanks to Katie Lee and her grandmother for an awesome recipe!!! Can't wait to try it!!!

Go Greek...

Enjoy the same flavorful Greek beef and pasta taste in a lighter, easy one-skillet meal. We have this with pita bread and yogurt on the side. We also make a homemade Greek Salad as well. It's a nice change to add to your normal list of meals. I also love that it's a cinch to make!!!

Prep Time:5 min

Start to Finish:25 min

Makes:4 servings (about 1 1/4 cups each)

Greek Beef and Orzo (lighter recipe)
recipe and photo source: Betty Crocker


1 pound extra-lean ground beef
2 cans (14 1/2 oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 medium celery stalk, sliced ( 1/2 cup)
1 cup uncooked orzo or rosamarina pasta
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or less if desired)
1/2 cup fat-free yogurt


Cook beef in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until brown; drain.

	Stir in remaining ingredients except yogurt. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until liquid is absorbed and pasta is tender. Serve with yogurt on the side.

Chicken Curry in a Hurry...

WOW!!!! I can not even begin to explain how good this was!!! Our menu for the week kind of got rearranged. No1here was home early yesterday, so at 6pm once all the Daisies were gone, he started to make this dish. I asked him if he was crazy?! We didn't have time to make supper at this point. He said that it was called "Chicken Curry in a Hurry" and that we'd be fine. We
only ate 15 minutes past our normal suppertime of 6:30pm. So, I was pretty surprised that it came together so quickly. I have to be honest though, I was NOT looking forward to this meal. I'm not a fan of Indian food and I just knew that my kids would hate it!!! Boy, was I ever wrong! It was wonderful! All of my kids LOVED it!!! Not just one kid - ALL of them!!! The older boys had thirds and the two younger ones mostly cleaned their plates. There were absolutely no leftovers! That never happens in our house?!?! What a pleasant surprise! So, five stars all around and it definitely makes our "keeper" list!!! We didn't use the raisins and we added minced garlic to it. If you're really in a hurry you could even chop up the chicken, so it'll cook faster. Thanks again Elise for another great recipe!