Frito Pie

Note: Why eat a plain old bowl of chili when you can have it as Frito Pie? Or at least that is my boy's motto!

Frito Pie

Ingredients
1 "Our Favorite Chili" Recipe
1 bag of Fritos (scoops or regular - your choice)
2 cups of cheddar cheese
sour cream
jalapenos.

Directions
Layer chili and Fritos in a 2 quart casserole dish. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake in oven at 350 degrees until fully heated and bubbly.

Serve in bowls and topped with sour cream and jalapenos.


I've missed a few weeks at Tempt My Tummy Tuesday so I am anxious to join back up with my favorite recipe source. Hope you will join me!

Baked Potato Pizza

Note:   I love weird pizzas.   Maybe that is because I am not a fan of "real" pizza.     Tonight is the season premiere of "Survivor".   I know... we are weird and watch this whacked out reality show.    Little Guy will be making this pizza for us and we will be sizing up the competitors.



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1  can (11 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated thin pizza crust

6  slices (1 oz each) provolone cheese

2  cups cubed unpeeled baked potato

2  tablespoons olive oil

2  tablespoons ranch dressing mix

8  strips crisply cooked bacon, chopped

1  cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese

Sour cream   

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray or grease 15x10-inch or larger dark or nonstick cookie sheet. Unroll dough on cookie sheet; starting at center, press dough into 15x10-inch rectangle.  Arrange provolone cheese slices on dough. In medium bowl, mix potato, olive oil and ranch dressing mix. Spoon evenly over cheese. Sprinkle with bacon and Cheddar cheese.   Bake 13 to 16 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream.

Pizza Casserole

Note: Pizza is not something I enjoy on a regular basis. It is something I like to reserve for nights when the boys have friends over or when we are in an incredible hurry. However, to pacify the boys' taste for pizza I will make things like this pizza casserole. It makes all of us happy!


Pizza Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 (12-oz.) pkg. rotini pasta
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni, enough to garnish top

Directions

Brown ground beef and drain. Cook rotini pasta according to package directions. Combine beef and pasta; pour into a large casserole dish. Pour spaghetti sauce on top of beef mixture. Sprinkle with mushrooms, cheeses and pepperoni. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes

Cartoon Meal

Note: My boys love a show on Nickelodeon called "Chowder". The characters have names based on foods like Chowder, Gazpacho, Truffles and Panini. One day the boys were asking what some of the foods were so I thought it would be fun to have a cartoon Saturday meal.

Gazpacho

Ingredients:
6 large tomatoes
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded & chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 teaspoon cumin
S & P, to taste

Directions:
In a medium saucepan- boil water & add tomatoes. Boil for 15 seconds. Remove & transfer to a colander & rise under cool water, the skins should slip off easily.
Place tomatoes into food processor, along with the rest of the above ingredients.
Blend on high for several seconds, until well-mixed & blended. Chill in frig for several hours, you want the flavors to meld. Serve chilled. Enjoy.


Monte Cristo Panini

Ingredients:

8 slices sourdough bread
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 lb. thinly sliced deli ham
4 thin slices Swiss cheese
1/2 lb. thinly sliced deli turkey or chicken breast
4 thin slices Provolone cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. oil
1 cup finely crushed Rice Krispies cereal
powdered sugar
strawberry jam

Directions:

Spread one side of each bread slice with Dijon mustard. Make sandwiches with the two kinds of cheese and the ham and turkey slices.In shallow bowl, combine egg, milk, and oil and beat well. Place crushed cereal on a shallow plate. Dip each sandwich briefly into egg mixture, then into cereal mixture to coat.Grill sandwiches in dual contact grill or panini grill or waffle iron until crisp and brown, 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle hot sandwiches with powdered sugar and serve with strawberry jam for dipping.

Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
3 potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 onion, diced
1 1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 can (14.75 oz. size) cream-style corn

Directions:
Place potatoes in a large pot with water to cover. Stir in onions. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to medium-low & simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Stir in evaporated milk and corn. Heat through, about 10 minutes.

Deanna's Red Beans & Rice

Note: I had never had Red Beans & Rice until I got married. We were invited to supper and that is what they were serving. They ladled the red beans and rice over a bowl of rice and I began to eat. My first thought was, "This was good, but it was be so much better if I added..." I came home and started playing. What developed is nothing close to authentic Red Beans & Rice, but it is what my boys love. As Tim Allen would say, "It has MORE POWER!"

Deanna's Red Beans & Rice

Ingredients:
2 cans dark kidney beans
1 ½ lbs. ground round
1 lb. hot link sausage
½ cup chopped bell pepper
½ cup chopped onion
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can Hunts special sauce
1 large can stewed tomatoes
Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper (to taste)
Oregano and parsley (to taste)

Directions:
Brown meat and onion and drain. Drain one can of the red beans and then add both cans to the ground beef. Add the rest of the ingredients in large pan. Cook 2 hours on medium heat stirring occasionally. Lower heat and simmer another 2 hours. Serve over cooked rice (or my boy's favorite, baked macaroni & cheese).

What's for Supper on Election Day?

I love to eat theme suppers on special days, but I just can't figure out what to cook for supper. There are too many good options no matter who you are voting for today.

The options I am considering:

McCain's Babyback Ribs

Palin's Alaskan Salmon

Obama's Chicago Hot dogs

Biden's Favorite Oatmeal Cookies

No seriously...

I think our menu is going to look more like this..

Pigs in a Blanket

Ingredients:
1 puff pastry sheet, thawed
6 all-beef hot dogs
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the pastry into 6 equal strips and cut each strip into 3 pieces. Cut the hot dogs into 3 equal pieces. Place 1 hot dog piece onto a piece of the pastry and roll until the pastry meets itself. Press gently to seal.
Place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining hot dogs and pastry. Brush the pastry tops with the cream and sprinkle half with the cheese and half with the poppy seeds. Place in the top half of the oven until the pastry is puffed and golden, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove, let cool 5 minutes, and serve with the dipping sauce on the side.

Ham Salad

Ingredients:
Baked whole ham
Blue Plate mayonnaise

Directions:
Let ham cool. Grind ham (preferably using an old-fashioned grinder). Mix to desired consistency with 1 pint of mayonnaise. Serve on crackers.

Quick Apple Cobbler

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 stick of butter
3 peeled and sliced apples (or can of apple pie filling)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; use 8-by-8-inch or 9-by-13-inch). Add butter and place in oven to melt the butter. When melted, remove from oven and tilt the dish so the butter coats the entire bottom. In a bowl, mix well sugar, flour, milk, baking powder and salt. Pour into baking dish. Top with apples or apple pie filling and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake 40 minutes.

Baked Spinach Almond Chicken

Note: I love spinach. Enough said. Hee! Hee!

Baked Spinach Almond Chicken

Ingredients:
2 cups boiled, chopped (or cubed) chicken
1 pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1 clove garlic, grated
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. salt
2 pkg. crescent rolls
2 Tbsp. sliced almonds

Directions:
Put cooled chicken pieces into a large bowl. Add spinach, bell pepper, cheese, garlic, mayonnaise and salt. Mix well. Place crescent rolls on greased cookie sheet, leaving triangles of dough attached to each other. Pinch seams of dough together to make a rectangular-shaped dough. Place the chicken mixture in a log shape down the center of the dough rectangle, leaving dough on each side. Cut with a knife from the chicken mixture to the edge of the rectangle on each side, making strips that are still attached to the dough under the chicken mixture. Overlap the strips over the chicken mixture for a crisscross effect. Sprinkle the top with almonds. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into smaller pieces to serve.

Hawaiian Ribs

Note: Don't laugh, but I have a jar of apricot jam and don't want it to go to waste. I found this recipe and thought. Gotta try it!

Hawaiian Ribs

Ingredients:
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1/3 cup apricot jam
3 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
3 to 4 pounds pork baby back ribs

Directions:
Combine pineapple (including the juice), apricot jam, mustard, vinegar, ginger and garlic in the food processor. Cover and process until smooth. Place ribs on oiled grid. Grill ribs over medium heat 40 minutes or until ribs are no longer pink near bone. Brush ribs with portion of pineapple sauce during last 10 minutes of cooking. Cut into individual ribs to serve. Serve remaining sauce for dipping.

Shortcut: I made these yesterday and knew I wasn't going to have time to put them on the grill so I put them in the crockpot to cook with a little of the marinade on them. When they were tender I took them out and basted them with the sauce and put them under the broider in the oven. I should have taken a photo, but they were gone as soon as I took them out of the oven!

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Note: Hubs doesn't like ketchup, but he likes meatloaf. That is kind of like an oxymoron isn't it? Even so, I want to make hubs happy so I went on a quest to find a meatloaf that he would really enjoy that didn't require ketchup. Paula Deen to the rescue!

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon House Seasoning (garlic powder, black pepper, and salt mix)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 cup grated Cheddar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup crushed crackers (recommended: Ritz)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt (recommended: Lawry's)
2 slices white bread
Sauce, recipe follows

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients together, except the bread slices and Sauce. Shape into a loaf. Line a 1 1/2-quart loaf pan with the bread slices. Place meatloaf on top. Bake loaf for 45 minutes. The bread absorbs the grease and should be discarded after loaf is removed from oven.

Paula's recipe calls for a sauce to be put over the top, but I don't put this on mine. If want the full recipe including the sauce just click on the link at the top.

Poppy Seed Chicken

Note: This is one of Big Guy's favorites. I usually make a double batch so we have plenty of leftovers. I can eat spoonfuls of this cold!

Poppy Seed Chicken

Ingredients:
5 cups of cooked, diced chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
16 ounces of sour cream
one tablespoon poppy seeds
one sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions...
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first five ingredients. Spread into 13x9 casserole dish. Cover with crushed crackers and drizzle with butter. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly around the edges and crackers are golden brown.

Serve over rice.

Taco Pie

Note: I always seem to have mashed potatoes left over when I make them and this is the recipe I found to make good use of them. The potatoes make the shell for this pie.

Taco Pie

Ingredients:
2 cups mashed potatoes
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 package taco seasoning
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1/2 cup taco sauce
1/4 cup water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine potatoes, milk, butter and 2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix in bowl. Press over bottom and sides of 10 inch pie plate to form a shell. Brown ground beef and onion in skillet. Drain well. Add remaining taco seasoning, beans, taco sauce and water; mix well. Spoon into potato shell. Bake for 30 minutes. Top with cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.

Shrimp, Peppers and Cheese Grits

Note: I received this recipe from my friend Shane. I love anything with grits, but then again, I am a Mississippi girl! We are G.R.I.T.S..... Girls Raised In The South!! Oh, shoot. I should have named my blog that!

Shrimp, Peppers and Cheese Grits

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped Canadian bacon
1 cup red bell pepper strips
1 cup green bell pepper strips
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and devained
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 2/3 cup milk
1 (16 oz.) can chicken broth
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add bell peppers; cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes; cook 5 minutes. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes. Stir in green onions and keep warm. Combine milk and broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir in grits. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for 5 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in cheese. Serve shrimp mixture over grits.

***NOTE: I used yellow and orange bell peppers instead. Also, it would be good without the shrimp but adding more Canadian bacon. The Rotel tomatoes makes it a little spicy but not bad but it would be good with just diced tomatoes too. :)

For more Tempt Your Tummy recipes.. head over to Blessed With Grace's blog!

Baked Spaghetti Casserole

Baked Spaghetti Casserole

Ingredients:
1 onion
1/2 bell pepper
2 cans diced tomatoes (roasted garlic, Italian herb)
2 cans (4 oz.) mushrooms
2 cans of Hunts ready tomato (one chunky garlic, one Italian Herb)
1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck
12 ounce spaghetti noodles (I use whole wheat)
8 ounce shredded cheddar & mozzarella combo
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup of water
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
package or pepperoni

Directions:
Saute onion and green pepper in butter. Add tomatoes, mushrooms and sauce. Add salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to taste. Simmer on low while browning hamburger meat. Drain hamburger meat and add to tomato mixture. Spray 9 x 13 pan with Pam. Cook spaghetti noodles according to directions. Layer mixture in pan: 1.) Half of spaghetti noodles, 2.) half of soup mixture, 3.) pepperoni, 4.) sprinkle cup of cheese and 5.) repeat layers.
Mix mushroom soup with water and pour over casserole. Sprinkle top with parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Smoky Mountain Chicken

Smokey Mountain Chicken

Ingredients:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
BBQ Sauce
18 oz.Swiss Cheese-sliced
Dash of pepper

Directions:
Bake however many chicken breasts you need in the oven for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees. The last 10 minutes of baking smother BBQ sauce all over chicken. The last 5 minutes of baking top chicken with sliced Swiss cheese and a dash of pepper.

Sometimes...

Sometimes when you have been cleaning house, doing laundry, playing with your kids and running around all day. Supper doesn't need to be anything more complicated than this.

Just prepare the jambala according to the directions adding the chopped sausage. Other items that make great additions are fajita chicken and mexicala corn.

Leave it on the stove while you are taking a hot shower to wash off the day's dirt and craziness and when you come back you will be ready to sit down with your family.

Great served with some crusty bread.

Char's Crab Cakes with Tartar Sauce

Note: Al Roberts gave our school this recipe for our cookbook when we were doing a fundraiser.

Char's Crab Cakes with Tartar Sauce

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, shells removed
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 tsp zest of lemon
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 Tbsp. Creole mustard
1 egg
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
1 Tbsp. capers, finely diced
1 1/2 cup crushed Saltine Crackers

Directions:
In a bowl place all ingredients. Toss gently to prevent crab from breaking into small pieces. The bigger the crab lumbs remain the better. Always keep ingredients cold as crab will spoil easily. Form cakes into desired shape and size, typically not larger than 3 to 4 ounces each.

Utilizing extra virgin olive oil in a saute skillet pan, sauce on medium high heat until golden brown. For crispier cakes, dredge the cakes in more cracker crumbs before cooking. Note: Cracker crumbs burn easily. Make 10 to 12 crab cakes at 3 1/2 ounces each.

Char House Tartar Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp dill pickle relish
1 Tbsp capers, diced
1/2 tsp dried taragon
1 Tbsp Creole mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
Mix all ingredients well and refrigerate. Plate presentation: Place desired amount of baby greens or fresh arugula in a salad bowl. Sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss greens and mound in center of round plates. Place sauteed crab cakes on each side of greens (two cakes per person), top with tartar sauce or serve on side in ramekin. Garnish with lemon wedges. Serve with crusty garlic bread.

YuMMMMM!!