taco casserole

I love Mexican food. I love finding new recipes to try out that includes Mexican food :)

Ingredients:

~ 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

~ 1 can (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained

~ 1 can (10.75) condensed cream of onion soup

~ 1 envelope taco seasoning envelope

~ 1/2 cup water

~ 6 corn tortilla strips, cut into 1/2 inch strips

~ 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

~ Cook beef until brown. Drain.

~ Mix beef, tomatoes, soup, and taco seasoning in slow cooker.

~ Stir in tortilla strips

~ Cover and cook on low for 8 hours

~ Sprinkle cheese over casserole

Verdict:

~ The onion soup really made a strong, yet yummy taste to this casserole. It wasnt overbearing, just added a nice touch to the meal. Def. will add to the rotation.

Menu:

~ taco casserole

~ salad

Pizza Chicken

Found this on the Betty Crocker website....had a good sounding name..so went for it :)

Ingredients:

~ 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken

~ 1/2 teaspoon salt

~ 1/4 teaspoon pepper

~ 1 small onion, sliced

~ 2 medium bell pepper sliced (I omitted, I dont like the taste of cooked peppers)

~ 2 cups tomato pasta sauce

~ 1 package (16 oz.) rotini pasta

~ 1 cup shredded mozerella cheese

Directions:

~ Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place into the slow cooker. Top with onion and the bell pepper. Add the pasta sauce.

~ I cooked mine on low for 8 hours

~ Cook and drain pasta. Place pasta on a platter. Place chicken and sauce. Sprinkle cheese.

Verdict:

~ Delicious taste...the cheese was a nice touch as it melted.

Menu:

~ Pizza chicken

~ Green beans

~ salad

A - 1 and Dijon steak

I was looking on my blogs and thought I'd give steak a try in the slow cooker. Hadn't tried it before and the meal sounded super easy.

Ingredients:

~ 4-6 steaks

~ 2 T A 1 sauce

~ 2 T dijon mustard

~ 1/4 cup white wine

Directions:

~ Combine the A1 sauce and mustard in a small mixing bowl

~ Paint the sauce mixture on all sides of the meat

~ Place the meat in the slow cooker

~ cover with white wine

~ Cook for 6-8 hours (I cooked mine for 8 since my steaks were still frozen)

Verdict:

~ Delicous! The steaks didnt dry out while cooking in the slow cooker. The dijon and the A1 sauce come together to make a nice coating for the steaks. Really good!

Menu:

~ A1 and dijon steaks

~ baked potatoes

~ green beans

~ corn

~ salad

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

I was on the hunt this week for a BBQ chicken meal. My last experience with BBQ sauce in the slow cooker was less than stelllar (in my opinion). So this one sounded like it might be better, since no BBQ sauce was actually used. I love bbq sandwiches so thought I'd give this one a try.

Ingredients:

~ Boneless chicken breast

~ 1 cup ketchup

~ 2 tablespoons mustard

~ 2 teaspoons lemon juice

~ 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder

~ 1/2 cup maple syrup

~ 2 tablespoons worchcestshire sauce

~ 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

~ 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

~ a few dashes of hot pepper sauce

Directions:

~ In a bowl mix all ingredients, except for the chicken.

~ Place chicken on the bottom of the slow cooker.

~ Place the mixture on top of the chicken.

~ Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. (I cooked mine for 8 since the chicken was frozen)

Verdict:

~ Very delicious. I might have added a bit more of each ingredient. The sauce had a nice BBQ-y taste without it being a bbq sauce. The chicken was nice dry and the maple syrup brought a nice sweet taste.

Menu:

~ slow cooker bbq chicken sandwiches

~ french fries

~ suddenly salad pasta salad

~ brocoli

~ corn

I'm not really cooking this week

Just wanted to write that you wont see any new posts about new cooking ideas this week. We spent the weekend in Orlando and by the time we came home, I was in NO mood to grocery shop. So I ran into Publix and found just some quick meal things.
So...here are some product shout outs:
Tuesday~ we had the Viola Garlic Shrimp and Garlic Chicken pasta meals. love the fact that they already have the veggies, some protein, and pasta included. Quick and easy...no more than 10 minutes. Also cut up a salad.
Wednesday~ Hormel Italian style beef, rice, brocoli, corn, and salad. Again, nice and easy...plus tasty.
Thursday~ Going out to Big Sky Pizza
I had some other meals planned, but didnt feel like walking around looking for stuff. hahahaha! hopefully this weekend I'll be in a shopping mood. LOL!

Lemon Chicken

I do not have any pictures of this meal. Not for sure why though. But had to share. This was our meal on Mother's Day. I wasnt in the mood to go out (and boy was I glad that I wasn't).

Ingredients:
~ 2 tablespoons lemon zest
~ 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
~ 2 garlic cloves crushed
~ 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
~ 1 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced
~ 1 teaspoon salt
~ 1 teaspoon black pepper
~ 2-4 lbs. bones in drumsticks and thighs (chicken)
~ 2-3 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:
~ Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, freh thyme, rosemary salt and pepper in a ziploc plastic bag. Seal the bag well and shake to blend. Add the chicken pieces to the bag to marinate. Refridgerate for at least 2 hours.
~ Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the chickens from the marinade and transfer to a baking dish. Reserve the marinade. Brush each piece of chicken with the melted butter.
~ Bake for 50-55 minutes until the skins are crispy and well browned. Halfway through cooking pour on the reserved marinade.

Verdict:
~ one of the best and new favorite chicken meals. fresh and citrusy taste, not overbearing though.

menu:
~ lemon chicken
~ alfredo pasta
~ salad

easy cheesy tortelini bake

Another one of my favorite pastas (tortelini) and a new way to cook...had to give it a try

Ingredients:
~ 2 9 oz. packages of cheese tortelini
~ 1 24 oz. marinara sauce
~ 1 15 oz. alfredo sauce
~ 1 10 oz. box of frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained
~ 1 tablespoon dried italian seasoning
~ 1 8 oz. package shredded mozzerella cheese
~ 1/4 cup grated parm. cheese

Directions:
~ Boil pasta and cook according to package directions, drain.
~ Adjust oven rack to the highest position and set to broil.
~ Generously butter or grease baking dish
~ Bring marinara sauce and alfredo sauce, plus spinach and 1 tablespoon italian dried seasoning to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cooked tortellini and then pour into baking dish.
~ Sprinkle the top with mozzerella and parm cheese
~ Broil for a minute or two until the cheese is melted.

Verdict:
~ The cheeses and the sauces were blended well together to make an enjoyable taste. It wasn't too cheesey though. I've never had alfredo and marinara sauces blended together like that, but really enjoyed it.

Menu:
~ Tortellini bake
~ salmon (for Tom)
~ breaded italian chicken (for brandon and i)
~ green beans
~ salad