Cajun Red Beans and Rice

1 pound small red beans, rinsed and picked over
4 slices bacon, chopped fine
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 small green pepper, seeded, and chopped fine
1 celery rib, chopped fine
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp sweet paprika
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Ground black pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
6 cups water
8 oz. andouille sausage (or kielbasa), halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Cooked white rice

Dissolve 3 TB salt in a 4 quarts cold water in large bowl or container.  Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.  Drain and rinse well.

Heat bacon in large pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5-8 minutes.  Add onion, green pepper, and celery; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, 6-7 minutes.  Stir in garlic, thyme, paprika, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in beans, broth and water; bring to boil over high heat.  Reduce heat and vigorously simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are just soft and liquid begins to thicken, 45-60 minutes.

Stir in sausage and 1 tsp red wine vinegar and cook until liquid is thick and beans are fully tender and creamy, about 30 minutes.  Season with salt, black pepper and vinegar to taste.  Serve over rice.

Note:  Andouille sausages are hard to find and quite expensive.  They are good though, so if you think you can manage it, I reccommend them.  They do add some extra spice to the beans (they can be quite hot, depending on the brand).  If not, use kielbasa sausage instead - the beans are delicious either way.

Upside Down Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 (8 ounce) can refrigerated crescent rolls

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Brown beef, onion and garlic in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Once browned, drain fat and stir in spaghetti sauce.
3. In a 9x13 inch baking dish, spread a layer of sauce. Top with 1/2 of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, another layer of sauce and the rest of the cheese. Top with crescent rolls, pinching seams together.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown.

Navajo Tacos

We've had Navajo tacos before, however we've never made them until tonight.  Stuart found a fabulous recipe online that actually gives the story behind Navajo Fry Bread as they call it.  If you'd like to see the site, click HERE. 

Navajo Fry Bread:

1 cup unbleached flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup water
Vegetable oil for frying

Sift together the flour, salt, powdered milk, and baking powder into a large bowl. Pour the water over the flour mixture all at once and stir the dough with a fork until it starts to form one big clump. 

 

Flour your hands. Using your hands, begin to mix the dough, trying to get all the flour into the mixture to form a ball. NOTE: You want to mix this well, but you do NOT want to knead it. Kneading it will make for a heavy Fry Bread when cooked. The inside of the dough ball should still be sticky after it is formed, while the outside will be well floured.

 

Cut the dough into four (4) pieces. Using your floured hands, shape, stretch, pat, and form a disk of about 5 to 7 inches in diameter.   

 

Heat the vegetable oil to about 350 degrees F. Your oil should be about 1-inch deep in whatever you choose to fry your bread in.

 

Take the formed dough and gently place it into the oil, being careful not to splatter the hot oil. Press down on the dough as it fries so the top is submersed into the hot oil. Fry until brown, and then flip to fry the other side. Each side will take about 3 to 4 minutes. 

Making it into Navajo Tacos:

We made Chili with small red beans and no meat (this was one of our meatless meals) so just use your favorite recipe for chili.  We then added lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream to taste.  It was WONDERFUL!  We quadrupled the recipe, however each fry bread is enough for one person.  It's very filling!

Texas Chili Dogs

1 lb. bottom round steak, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
2 TB vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 TB chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce (you can find this by the ketchup and hot sauce at the store)
2 TB yellow mustard
2 TB hot sauce (optional)
1 TB Worcestershire sauce

Also: 8 hotdogs, 8 hotdog buns, shredded Cheddar Cheese

Process the steak in a food porcessor until finely ground. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the ground steak, onion, garlic, chili powder and cloves and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes, breaking up any large pieces with a wooden spoon. Stir in the ketchup, chili sauce, mustard, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until thickened, about 30 minutes. Serve over hotdogs.

Note: If you don't have a food processor, or don't want to bother, it works well to just dice the meat with a knife. You will want the pieces pretty small though.

Mom Mobley's Tortellini Soup

During the family reunion in July Mom Mobley made this WONDERFUL soup! I'm so excited to add this to my recipe collection!

Tortellini Soup

1 ½ pounds hot Italian sausage

1 ½ pounds mild Italian sausage

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 garlic cloves, minced

2 large onions, diced

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup sliced celery

4 cups sliced zucchini

1 cup lentils

4 cups tortellini

1 29-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 29-ounce can tomato sauce

8 chicken bullion cubes

3 quarts water

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (combination basil, oregano, sage, etc.)

Brown the sausage and cook through. Drain well. In soup kettle cook garlic, onion, and mushrooms in olive oil. Add water and bring to a boil and bullion. Add lentils, and cook for about ½ hour or until lentils are nearly soft. Add salt, pepper, seasoning, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer for a couple of hours. Add vegetables and cook for 15 minutes. Add tortellini and cook an additional 15 minutes. Serve to the troops.

Corndog Casserole

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that the name of this dish may be a little bit unappetizing. However it really was decent and QUICK....which we all know is important at times. And the kids liked it!

Ingredients:
2 cups thinly sliced celery
1 1/2 cups sliced green onions
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds hot dogs
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons ground sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (8.5 ounce) packages dry corn bread mix
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

1. In a medium skillet, saute celery and green onions in butter for 5 minutes. Place saute mixture in a large bowl; set aside.
2. Slice hot dogs lengthwise into quarters, then cut into thirds. In same skillet, saute hot dogs for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add to celery/onion mixture and mix all together. Set aside 1 cup of mixture.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. In a large bowl combine the eggs, milk, sage and pepper. Add all but reserved 1 cup hot dog mixture. Stir in corn bread mix and 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese. Mix all together and spread mixture into a shallow 3 quart baking dish. Top with reserved 1 cup hot dog mixture and remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
5. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Note: I didn't include the celery, it's not popular in our home.
Also, the recipe calls for A LOT of sage! Next time I will either cut the sage down a lot or not include it. The sage gave it a stuffing taste.
I also didn't do a whole pound and a half of hot dogs, I used 1 pound plus 3 leftover hot dogs I had thrown in the freezer. Stuart thinks it needed more hot dogs, but I thought it was fine the way it was.

Creamy Ham Broccoli Casserole

This is technically supposed to have Spam in it. However, since I am NOT a fan of Spam and don't keep it in my food storage we used some of the ham leftover from Easter Dinner. I got this from my America's Favorite Brand Name One-Dish Meals cookbook.

Creamy Ham Broccoli Casserole

Nonstick cooking spray
1 (7 oz) package elbow macaroni
2 cups frozen cut broccoli, thawed and drained
Ham
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs
2 teaspoons margarine, melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. In prepared casserole, combine macaroni, broccoli, Ham and bell pepper. In small saucepan, stir together milk, cornstarch and black pepper until cornstarch is dissolved. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until thickened. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese; stir until melted. Stir sauce into Ham mixture. Combine bread crumbs and margarine; sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake 40 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Makes 8 servings.

Note: I did not measure my noodles, but did double the sauce. It filled to the top of a 9x13 pan. Next time I probably wouldn't use the bread crumbs and margarine. However we did put some parmesan cheese on top which was great. Phillip had 4 servings of this and the other two ate more than Stuart and I ate. Even with all of what we ate we still have half of the 9x13 pan left...not normal in our family. It was GREAT!

Stuffed Pesto Chicken

I got this recipe from a friend at my bridal shower and haven't tried it until this last week. And let me say that it was amazing! Serves 2.

2 chicken breast
Pesto
Roasted red peppers
Salt and Pepper
Mozzarella cheese, shredded

• Preheat oven to 350.
  
• Butterfly the chicken.
• Place and spread desired amount of pesto inside.
• Place desired amount of roasted pepper.
• Stuff shredded mozzarella cheese inside.
• Close, then spread pesto on top of chicken.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper.
• Place on baking sheet.
• Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes.

I hope you enjoy it as much as Garrett and I did!

Fast Pork Fajitas

3 Tbs chili powder
2 Tbs ground cumin
2 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
pork tenderloin, about 2 pounds, thinly sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 green peppers, sliced
10 to 12 flour tortillas, warmed

In a shallow bowl combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and salt. Coat pork pieces with fajita seasoning.

In large skillet over medium-high heat, stir-fry pork pieces with onion and green pepper and 2 Tbs olive oil until pork is cooked and vegetables are just tender.

Wrap portions in flour tortillas with any of the following: salsa, sour cream, guacamole, cheese.

I made this for dinner last night and we all really liked it. Even Ellen who has been pretty picky lately. It was a large amount, but it was just right for dinner for our family plus some leftovers for James' lunch. There was plenty of extra seasoning mixture left over so I think next time I'll just use half of it and save the rest for next time. I served it with rice, which we like to put in the fajita instead of eating on the side.

Pollo Rellenos

6 split chicken breasts (1 ½ lbs)
1/3 cup cornmeal
2 TB taco seasoning mix
1 egg, beaten
1 (4 oz) can whole green chilies, cut in half lengthwise
2 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, cut into sticks
2 TB cilantro or parsley
Black pepper
Red pepper
Salt
8 oz salsa
shredded cheese and cilantro or parsley for top

Combine cornmeal and taco seasoning in shallow dish; set aside. Pound chicken flat. Place a piece of green chili on flattened chicken. Place a stick of cheese inside the chili, sprinkle with seasoning. Roll up into chicken. Dip chicken roll in egg and then the cornmeal mixture. Place in a shallow baking dish. Bake, uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Serve with salsa and cheese.

Spinah & Ricotta Puff Pie

1 lb. Spinach, stalks removed and well washed (I just use frozen, chopped spinach)
12 oz. Ricotta cheese
1 TB grated Parmesan or Cheddar cheese
pinch of nutmeg
1 egg (optional)
8 oz. Ready made puff pastry (fresh or frozen and thawed)
1 egg, beaten, for brushing
salt & pepper to taste

Steam the spinach, or cook in a saucepan with just the water clinging to the leaves after washing, for about 3 minutes until wilted. Drain well.

Mix the spinach, ricotta, Parmesan or Cheddar, salt and pepper, nutmeg and egg (if using) in a bowl until evenly blended. Spoon the filling into a lightly buttered 9 inch pie plate.

Dampen the rim of the pie plate with water. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to cover the pie, trimming off the surplus. Press the pastry rim with a fork and prick the middle in several places with a fork. Brush the pastry with beaten egg. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Monte Cristo Sandwiches

2 TB honey mustard, divided
12 thin slices white or egg bread, divided
4 oz sliced deli turkey breast
8 thin slices (4 oz) Swiss cheese, divided
4 oz smoked sliced deli ham, divided
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup milk
dash ground nutmeg
2-3 TB butter or margarine
Powdered Sugar
Strawberry or Raspberry preserves

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

To assemble 3-decker sandwich, spread ½ tsp mustard over 1 side of each of 3 bread slices. Place ¼ of turkey and 1 cheese l slice over mustard on 1 bread slice. Top with second bread slice, mustard side up.

Place ¼ of ham and 1 slice cheese on top of bread. Top with remaining bread slice, mustard side down, pressing gently together. Repeat with remaining mustard, bread, turkey, cheese, & ham to make 4 sandwiches.

Combine eggs, milk & nutmeg in shallow dish or pie plate.

Melt 1 TB butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Dip both sides of each sandwich briefly in egg mixture, letting excess drip back into dish.

Fry sandwiches until brown, turning halfway through cooking. Transfer sandwiches to greased baking sheet. Bake sandwiches 5 to 7 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Cut each sandwich in half diagonally; sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar. Serve immediately with preserves.

Makes 4 servings.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

8 oz egg noodles
8 TB butter, divided
5 TB flour
2 ½ cups milk
8 oz cream cheese
1 large can tuna (I use 2-6 oz. cans)
salt and pepper to taste
6 oz mild cheese, grated or sliced
1 ½ cups bread crumbs

Cook noodles in water until tender. Drain and set aside.

Melt 5 TB butter. Add flour and stir to form a smooth paste. Gradually add milk and stir until thickened. Add cream cheese and tuna. Stir until cheese is melted. Add seasonings.

In greased casserole dish, layer 1/2 the noodles, 1/2 the sauce, and 1/2 the grated cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Melt remaining butter. Stir in bread crumbs. Sprinkle butter crumbs over top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes.

Variation: can add peas or chopped broccoli (cooked) to boost flavor and nutrition. Add chopped, hard boiled eggs.

Rachel's note: This is not your ordinary tuna casserole. My kids LOVE it and Tyler likes it too (and he HATES tuna casserole).

Hawaiian Haystacks

Ingredients:

3 (14.4 oz) cans chicken (undrained) - I just use about 4 cups chopped cooked chicken
3 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups water
1 1/2 TBS parsley
1/2 TBS pepper
2 tsp salt
1/2 TBS basil
1 cup chopped carrots


Toppings:

4 cups cooked rice
1 (9.5 oz) can chow-mein noodles
3 medium tomatoes, sliced (I prefer diced)
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks (I used canned)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup cocont
1 (2 oz) jar pimiento, drained and diced, if desired


Instuctions:

1. Combine soup and chicken in a medium saucepan. Stir to blend. Add remaining ingredients. ring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender.
2. On individual serving plates layer all ingredients. First layer rice, chicken gravy, then any toppings you desire.

Hamburger Crockpot Casserole

I got this recipe from my Parker-Egin cook book. It was submitted by Donna Howard!

2 large potatoes, scrubbed and sliced
2 to 3 medium carrots, sliced
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen peas
2 medium onions sliced (I only used half of an onion)
2 stalks of celery, sliced
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. hamburger, browned and drained
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 can water
salt and pepper

Place layers of vegetables in order given into crock pot. Season each layer with salt and pepper. Put hamburger on top of celery. Mix soup and water; pour on top. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 - 8 hours or HIGH for 3 - 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

Olive Garden’s Zuppa

I got these three soup recipes from our Stake Relief Society Presidency. They have a dinner every year after the Relief Society Broadcast and these are what they served this year. Every one there really liked all the soups so the presidency said they would email out the recipes. I had the Chicken Tortilla Soup and it was really good. The sister sitting next to me had the Zuppa and she really liked it. I think James really will.

Olive Garden’s Zuppa

1 lb. Italian ground sausage
2 large baking potatoes cut in half then sliced into ¼ inch slices
1 large onion chopped
½ lb bacon crumbled (can use packaged bacon)
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cups kale or swiss chard chopped
2 cans chicken broth (can use cubes and water)
1 quart water
1 cup whipping cream

Cook sausage and drain. Put onion, potatoes, chicken broth, water, and garlic in the pot. Cook on medium until the potatoes are done. Add sausage, bacon, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes more. Turn to low and add the kale or swiss chard and cream. Heat through and serve. Serves 8-12.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 large can green enchilada sauce
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 can green chiles
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can fiesta nacho cheese soup
2-3 cups cooked chicken pieces
1 soup can of milk

Add all ingredients to a crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Top with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream. Serves 8-10.

Cheese Vegetable Soup

2 cubes (1 cup) butter or margarine
¼ onion chopped
4 stalks celery chopped
1 cup flour
7 cups hot water
4 tsp. chicken bouillon (or 4 cubes)
¾ lb (12 oz) velveeta, cubed
1-2 pkgs frozen veges (whatever you like… broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, mixed, etc.)

In large sauce pan, melt butter/margarine. Add onion and celery and sauté. Add flour and mix well with a whisk. Mix bouillon with water then add to pot slowly, constantly whisking to prevent lumps. Cook over medium until it barely starts to boil, then add velveeta. Stir until velveeta is melted in and soup is smooth. Add vegetables and heat through, then serve. Serves about 8.

Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients:
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups tomato juice
1 TBS vegetable oil
1 (1.25 oz) envelope taco seasoning
1/2 pound ground chuck
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
3 cups (12 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and cubed
Sour Cream

Instructions:
1. Wrap tortillas tightly in aluminum foil; bake at 350 F for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. ( I don't ever do this step!!)
2. Combine tomato juice, oil and taco seasoning; stir well. Brown ground chuck in a large skillet, stirring until it crumbles; drain. Stir in 1/2 cup tomato juice mixture and beans.Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
3. Place about 1/4 cup meat mixture and 2 TBS cheese down center of each tortilla. Roll up tortilla and place seam side down, in a lightly greased 13-x 9- x 2-inch baking dish. Pour remaining tomato juice mixture over casserole. Cover and bake at 350 F for 35 minutes or until heated through. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5 additional minutes or until cheese melts.
4. Serve hot; sprinkle lettuce, tomato, and avocado over enchiladas. (I also really like sour cream on top!)

Ham Quiche

1 pie crust, baked according to directions
4 ounces ham, cooked and diced
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Cover bottom of crust with ham. Beat eggs, cream and seasoning. Pour into pie crust until 3/4 full. Randomly cover top with little butter pieces (1/2 inch cubes) and sprinkle with pepper. Cover edges of crust with foil and bake at 375 degrees about 30 minutes or until golden brown. (Quiche should not move when you shake it).