Friday, July 29, 2011

Chicken Enchiladas

As a kid this was my favorite meal to go to Gramma's and have. (Besides, OF COURSE, her pizza.) I got the recipe when I got married and only then realized I had suckered for the easiest.recipe.ever to be my favorite. It's a great one to freeze because it bakes up as if it's never been frozen! Also...I've never met a kid who didn't like it!

Ingredients:
4 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 pint sour cream
1 can (4oz) green chilies (I usually leave these out!)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 bunch chopped green onions
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c shredded monteray jack cheese
12 flour tortillas

Mix chicken, sour cream, cream of chicken soup and chilies. Place about 2 tablespoons of mixture in center of each tortilla and roll up. Place rolled tortillas seam side down in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Pour remaining mixture over tortillas and spread evenly. Top with grated cheese and onions. Bake uncovered at 350* for 30 minutes.
Sometimes I make this as a casserole. Cut the tortillas in 1 inch squares (pizza cutters work great for this!). half of the tortillas in lightly greased dish. Top with half of the chicken mixture, and repeat layers. Top with cheese and onions and bake as above.
If you want to freeze it then just top with saran wrap and foil or a lid.

Chicken Pot Pie

A friend shared this recipe with me early this year and I have really enjoyed having it. It is so easy and quick-especially if your chicken is already cooked and, like me, you cave and buy the store pie crusts!

Ingredients:
2 refrigerated pie crusts (usually this is just one package with 2 crusts in it)
1/3 c butter
1/3 c onion, chopped
1/3 c flour
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t salt
1/4 t poultry seasoning (can easily be done without this..i added it!)
1 3/4 c chicken broth (or water with 2 chicken boullion cubes)
1/2 c milk
2 1/2 c cooked chicken chopped or shredded
2 c frozen veggies (I just use walmart's mixed veggies!)

Preheat oven to 425*. Place one pie crust in ungreased 9in pie plate.
In 2qt saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Saute onion about 2 minutes while stirring. Add salt and pepper; then add flour alternately with milk and chicken broth. (I've found it easiest to add some flour and stir it until the mixture is fairly clumpy, then add some milk until it is fairly juicy again, then add the rest of the flour and then the rest of the broth. This is to keep the flour from clumping in the liquid.) Stir mixture until boiling and thickened (a few minutes). Stir in chicken and mixed veggies.
Pour into pie crust. Top with 2nd crust and seal edges and flute. Cut slits on top. If you are going to bake it, nows the time to do that for 15 minutes. Then cover with a pie crust shield and bake 20-25 more minutes. Let stand AT LEAST 5 minutes before serving to let it thicken.
If you want to freeze it put it in the fridge until it is cold then cover with wax paper then either foil or saran wrap and place in freezer. Bake the same way when totally thawed.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

A-mazing Mocha Punch

Punch? Really? This is so much better than a meazly "punch"...maybe it should be called Mocha Madness...or something super dramatic. It's fantastic! You'll want to try it! It's a hit any time of the year, but I always crave it during these hot summer months! I'm SO sorry I don't have a picture!

Mocha (Madness) Punch

6 cups water
1/2 c instant chocolate drink mix
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c instant coffee granules
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
1/2 gallon chocolate or chocolate chunk ice cream
Whipped cream (optional)
Chocolate curls (also optional)

In microwave safe measuring cup bring 1 1/2 cups of the water to a boil. Stir in chocolate drink mix, sugar, and coffee granules until dissolved. Refrigerate until cold. (I usually leave it overnight or all day.)

About 30 minutes before you want to serve the punch (20 minutes if it's super warm out) add 4 1/2 cups water and mix well. Pour into punch bowl and add half of each tub of ice cream by scoopfuls. Stir in and let set for about 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ice cream by the scoopful and stir again. Serve when it is slightly melted. Garnish with a dallop of whipped cream an a few chocolate curls if desired.

ENJOY this amazing-ness. Even my picky coffee hater (yes they exist..sigh!) brothers like this drink!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Everyday Cricut is having a give-away! If you're interested in the NEW Expression 2 check out their site! (click on the Everyday Cricut badge I have on my home page!) Also, check out there blog-you'll love it even if you don't win the cricut!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients:
2lbs ground beef
1 pkg onion soup mix
1 can evaporated milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans fancy cut green beans
8 slices American cheese
1 bag tater tots

Brown hamburger. Spread evenly in bottom of ungreased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle onion soup mix over the top of hamburger. In large bowl mix green beans, evaporated milk, and mushroom soup. Pour over hamburger. Top with american cheese, then tater tots.

If you want to freeze this, cover with seran wrap and a lid, or tin foil. Thaw completely before baking.

Bake at 400* until tater tots are crisp and cheese is bubbly. If the cheese is bubbly, but tater tots need crisped-turn on broil on hi for about 1 minute.

Monday, March 7, 2011

3-4 Month Bear Pages

These are Kaden's 3 month and 4 month scrap pages. I liked how these turned out, which was good after struggling with them for a while-then putting them away, then getting them out again! It finally came to me and I was pleased. Like I've said before-the bear photos are actually the harder ones to put together. I had thought they'd be easiest. After thinking about it, I've decided it's because there isn't a lot of variety of phrases or things like that to add!

I stacked an orange button under a blue button. They fit perfectly and really complimented the colors I'd chosen. I also flip-flopped the main background colors because I just couldn't figure out how to make his shirts "work" with the colors!



I just love this 4. I haven't figured out what it is about it, but this part is my favorite.

It's hard to believe he was ever so little!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Bar-B-Q Meatballs (over rice)

I promise you will get compliments on these meatballs every single time. It makes a lot (hence the 3lbs of meat!) but I love to make the meatballs (minus the sauce) and freeze half for a later date. (I'm all about only cooking half the time!!!) If you want to turn them to appetizers you can just make them smaller..and they are GREAT even without rice.

Ingredients:
3lbs ground hamburger
2 c quick cooking oats
2 eggs
1 (13oz) can evaporated milk
1 c chopped onion (or 2-3 t onion powder)
1/2 t black pepper
2 t salt
2 t chili powder
1/2 t garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350*. Mix all ingredients well. Form into 1 1/2 inch balls. (The Pampered Chef Medium Scoop is THE BEST for this job!) Place in large lightly greased pan (or 2 9x13)and bake for 20-30 minutes-until they are no longer pink in the middle. At this point you can freeze half, or choose to make it all.

BBQ Sauce Ingredients:
2 c tomato ketchup
1 c brown sugar
2 t liquid smoke
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 c chopped onion (1 teaspoon onion powder)

Place balls in crockpot and pour sauce over them (make sure to cover them all evenly!) Heat until warm. If you don't want to use a crock pot I have heated the sauce in the micowave (careful with the ketchup so it doesn't burn!) and poured over the meatballs while they are still hot! In that case you would want to start your rice before making the sauce so it will be done when the meatballs are ready.

*For those of you who don't like onion (You know who you are...) I think the onion really adds to the recipe. I highly reccomend subsituting some onion powder in it's place. I promise you won't hate it...I have snuck this past many an onion-hater this way! You onion loves can laugh...but you don't know what else I've snuck past you! (Like wild game, veggies, etc...) I put the amounts next to the onion in the recipe for all you weirdos (uh..I mean...ahh..nevermind.)

I'll add a picture next time I make them!