Mexican Meatloaf

I love a great rice dish. I could eat rice everyday. So, when my mother In-law Linda made her Mexican Meatloaf it was an instant favorite of mine. It's one of those dishes that you can serve with a veggie and have a complete meal. Give this recipe a try you won't be disappointed!

  Mexican Meatloaf cooked and ready to enjoy!

Mexican Meatloaf

What You Need:

1 lb of Ground Beef
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 16oz Jar of Picante Sauce
2 tsp. of diced Jalapeno 
6 cups of cooked rice (2 uncooked=six)
2 cups of Shredded Cheese (Mexican style is really good)
2 cups of Fritos, Crushed (optional) 

Directions:
in a large skillet brown meat then drain; return to pan. Add cooked rice, soups, jalapeno and salsa to meat and stir till combined. Pour into a 9x13 dish and top with cheese. Cook at 375 degrees for 20 minutes add the crushed Fritos and bake another 5-10 minutes. Remove and let sit for 2-5 mins then serve.

**Cooking Note: My mother in-law adds a can of mushrooms and a can of green chilies. I didn't add them this time because I did not have them on hand. 

This makes 8 one cup servings!

  

Roasted Salsa Verde

As I have noted before my husband is a lover of all salsa's that are "Green." Brian asked for me to make some salsa since he was in a mood for it. He wanted me to try and make it like one of his favorite which is from a restaurant called Rosa's Mexican Cafe. I was able to come across a recipe online tried it and the recipe was spot on and was very good. It's simple enough to make and if you love green sauce and want to try something new. It's kind of sweet and has heat at the same time. Hope you enjoy as much as we did.

Salsa Verde

What Ya'll Need:

14  Tomatillos
2 Jalapeno pepper
1 Serrano pepper
3 Unpeeled garlic cloves
6 tbsp. Diced white onion
3/4 cup Cilantro
2 tbsp. Lime juice
1 tsp. Salt

Directions:
Remove husks and wash tomatillos. Cut peppers in half and remove seeds. Place tomatillos, peppers and unpeeled garlic cloves onto a pan with sides. Place into the oven, cook 15-20 minutes until the tomatillos are roasted and the peppers are slightly charred on all sides. During cook time make sure to rotate tomatillos, peppers and garlic at least once. Remove from oven and add the tomatillos, peppers and juices to a food processor as well as the onions, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Peel the garlic and discard the skins, add them to blender and pulse 5-10 times or until the salsa has come together how you would like. Serve salsa warm, at room temperature or cold.

**Cooking Tips: When roasting salsa, if you want more charred last five mins turn on broiler to high and cook five minutes longer. 

{Mama Rita's Quick} Chicken & Dumplings

My mom's cooking is so first-rate. One of my favorites is her chicken & dumplings, I could eat them anytime. It was a slightly cold day in Texas a few days ago and I wanted my mom's chicken & dumplings. Nice way to always warm up so I decided to make them myself. I followed her recipe and they came out delicious. I just wish she was with me so that she could have shared in the goodness.

{Mama Rita's Quick} Chicken & Dumplings

What You Need:

3 Chicken Breast (you can use dark meats as well)
6 Cups Chicken Broth
4 ct. Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits Value Pack 7.5 oz
1 tbsp. Garlic Powder
1 cup flour
Salt and Pepper for taste

Directions:
In a large pot add chicken broth put on a medium heat, cut chicken breast in half so that they are in 6 slices add to the broth and cook for about 20-25 mins. Once chicken is done remove from broth and pull apart or cut up in to bit size pieces. While the chicken cooks, open the cans of biscuits, tear each biscuit in to three sections and roll them flour and set aside. Make sure you have a good amount of flour on the biscuits so they don't stick to each other. The flour helps the sauce thicken so don't worry about having to much flour. Add, the biscuits two at a time to broth and pushing down with a spoon in the broth do this till all the biscuits are in broth then add the chicken salt, pepper and garlic powder; cook 10-15 mins. Stir during cook time so that the chicken and dumplings don't stick to the bottom. This makes about 8-10, 1 cup servings.

*Now if you want to make the dumplings instead of using canned biscuits here is my recipe for them.

What you Need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons of butter(salted)
1 cup of milk

Directions:
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter in using fork or fingers(I use fingers) Add milk little at time(1/4 cup), stirring between batches until it forms a ball of dough. Place dough on floured work area, using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out thin(add more flour as needed don't want area to be sticky). Once it's thinned out Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut either strips or squares out(I do squares). When your cutting make sure each dumpling has flour on it so they don't stick together( the flour also helps thicken the sauce). Once u place in pan cook at least 10-15 mins..

**Cooking Note: If you want more dumplings just add two more cans of biscuits. If you add more I would suggest adding 1/2 cup water to the mix to keep enough juice.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

It's Thanksgiving and I'm ready for all the pumpkin flavored recipes I can make. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love cooking meals for my family so this time of gather is the best. I seen the recipe for Pumpkin Spice Cookies in Taste of Home cooking magazine. This was a great recipe that I will be making again and again. I made them for a party at my husbands work and sent all the cookies with him thinking maybe there would have been some left over. But the dish came home empty, my husband said that everyone liked them. If you like pumpkin spice you will enjoy this recipe. I can't wait for my family to try them.

What Ya'll Need:

1 bag of Hersey's Pumpkin Spice flavor Kisses

1 Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix Pouch 17.5 oz.

1/2 tbsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/2 tbsp. Nutmeg

Pumpkin Spice Coating:
3 tbsp. Granulated Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

What to Do:
Place the cookie mix in a bowl and add everything package says including pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg mix well. Take cookie dough and round in to a ball then dip it in the pumpkin spice coating and place on cookie sheet. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove and place one Hersey's kiss on top and let cool then eat and enjoy!

**Cooking Note: These were made with a cookie mix but could easily be made with a homemade sugar cookie recipe. 

Cheesy Noodle Meat Bake

This dish is guaranteed to clean your plate. Words from a friend who tried the first time I made the dish. I originally did not know how the ricotta cheese would taste, since the recipe had originally called for cottage cheese. I had written the recipe down from a website but forgot to add the name and I can't remember what it was. One day I will find it but until then my combination came out great and taste good. Simple recipe and easy to make. If you like lasagna you will like this one just a bit of a different taste to it and a bit faster to make.

What You Need:

2 lb. Hamburger Meat 

1 16 oz. bag of Extra Wide Egg Noodles

1 15 oz. of Ricotta Cheese

1 16 oz. of Sour Cream

1 8 oz. can of Hunts Tomato Sauce Basil, Garlic & Oregano

2 15 oz. can of Hunts Tomato Sauce original flavor

2 Cups of Shredded Sharp cheese*

Directions:

Cook and drain hamburger meat. Then add the sauce and let simmer. Cook noodles as directed on package. While the noodles cook mix the sour cream and ricotta cheese in a bowl. Once noodles are done drain add to the cheese mixture and combine well. Take a 13x9 pan put some of the sauce on bottom layer noodles, the meat sauce and repeat. Top with shredded cheese. Bake in pre-heated oven at 375 for 25-30 mins. Remove let set 5 mins and serve up and enjoy. 

**Cooking Tip: I think adding either mozzarella or Parmesan cheese would be a good taste for this dish.

Reese's {Brookie} Cupcake

A great friend of mine at work had her birthday last week. I asked her what she would like me to bake for her. She couldn't decide whether she wanted brownies or cookies she told me to pick one. So I was trying to think of something to do and then I remembered seeing a pin on Pinterest with both cookies and brownies. It had no name on the post so I didn't know what to call them and from the picture you get the idea of how to make it. So all I had to do was figure out a name for it. I gave it the name "Reese Brookie Cupcake." I changed one thing about it from the original picture; I cooked mine in a cupcake pan and used a full size Reese's peanut butter cup. Plus it totally works because my daughter’s nickname is "Brookie." I wanted to have peanut butter in every bite not just the center. If you love brownies, cookies and peanut butter cups. This is a must try treat!

This is how you layer the cookie, buttercup & brownie.

 They taste so darn good, you must try these at least once. If you can't bake have someone do it for you.

Reese's {Brookie} Cupcake 

What Ya'll Need:
1 NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE 36 oz. Tub. 1 Jumbo Bag Reese's Snack Size Treats Chocolate, 19.5 oz (26 count)1 Pillsbury Brownie Classics Traditional Fudge Brownie Mix, 19.5 oz

What to Do:Preheat oven to 350. Using a tablespoon scoop out a heap of cookie dough and press in the cupcake pan. Place a Reese's buttercup on top of cookie then scoop brownie mix on top just to cover buttercup. Bake for 16*18 minutes checking and watch top of brownie to not over cook edges. 


**Cooking Note: Make sure the cookie dough covers bottom. Only fill the cupcake pan about 3/4 full. Once you pull the cupcakes out let them cool in the pan so that it gives the cupcake time to set so it makes it easy to pull out of pan.

Stuffed Jalapenos with Little Smokies

I posted my recipe for Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Jalapenos already but I wanted to share this added recipe idea with ever get a chance give this one a try. The little smokies give a nice flavor to the jalapenos. My husband loves this one and I have to say so do I! My mother-in-law gave me this idea she had made them once but stuffed a whole smoky inside a whole stuffed jalapeno. This is a great appetizer for any party or just for two, like my husband and I.

 When following the steps to my Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Jalapenos recipe  just add the halved smokies to the cream cheese wrap with bacon and bake or grill. 

To get the full recipe for the Stuffed Cream Cheese Jalapenos follow link and then recipe! 

http://danisrecipecreations.blogspot.com/2013/02/bacon-wrapped-cream-cheese-jalapeno.html

**Cooking Tip: You could use the whole smokie I cut mine in half so that its easy to bite in to when eating.

Dani's Cowboy Pasta

My husband Brian has been asking me to post one of his favorite recipes’s for some time now. I made him this recipe 6 years ago when we first started dating. He likes to tell me that when I made this recipe he knew he would love me forever. Brian is full of jokes might I tell you! The recipe is Cowboy Pasta. I didn't get this recipe from any sites I was reading an old cookbook from like 1970 and seen a recipe called "Working Man’s Pasta".. It was pinto beans, boxed Mac & cheese with hot dogs. A combination of ingredients I was not sure about. However, I had the idea to cook it with hamburger meat. So I looked in the pantry and all I had was Velveeta shells & cheese and ranch style beans. I thought, "This is what I'm trying for dinner!" It has had many different things added over the years but those three items are the base to Dani's Cowboy Pasta. I have given this recipe out for years and many people I know always tell me how great it tastes. This recipe will always be on my family's favorite list.

 This is what you need to make Cowboy Pasta.

 This is something we add for heat but doesn't always get added. 

Mix the beans and cook meat together

Cook pasta then add cheese and mix well.

 Take meat mixture and add to pasta and your done.

 Will look like this and taste very good. 

Cowboy Pasta

What You Need:

1 lb. Hamburger meat

2 cans Ranch Style Beans
2 (12 oz.) VELVEETA Shells & Cheese Dinner
1 can of diced tomatoes and green chilies*
Salt and pepper for taste

What to Do:
Cook hamburger meat; drain, add the beans and cook on low to medium heat covered. Cook Shells & cheese according to package. When pasta is done add both meat mixture and noodles together until completely combined and serve warm. 

This makes about 8 one cup servings! 

Deviled Egg Potato Salad

I normally don't eat any type of egg, potato or noodle salads. I don't like a cold egg, potato or noodle nope, I'll pass. I only recently was alright with trying a potato salad at a family gathering because my husband said it tasted like a deviled egg, which I love. So I gave it a try and loved it. I went looking all over for a recipe and couldn't find one that was just simple and easy. I figured why not just take the two and mix and see how it tasted. It was a match made in heaven. I now can say I have a deviled egg potato salad recipe of my own.

Deviled Egg Potato Salad 

What Ya'll Need:
5 Russet Potatoes
12 Hard Boiled Eggs
3/4 cup Miracle Whip(I used light)
2 Tbsp. Yellow Mustard
1/2 cup Sweet Relish
1 tsp. Paprika

What to do:
Cut potatoes into cubes; boil as you would for mash potato. Once potatoes are almost done drain and place into a large bowl, dice egg whites in to small pieces.  Add remaining ingredients. Gently stir all together until combined. Enjoy hot or chill for a an hour.

**Cooking Note: Don't over cook potatoes. Also when mixing in the  miracle whip if you want to use less just start with a smaller amount and spoon in and mix till it's right for your taste.

Deviled Egg Potato Salad BLT

I was at a family get-together recently where I tried my first Deviled Egg Potato Salad it was so good. I asked who made it and my aunt Jan said it was purchased at Sam's. I was shocked because it was so excellent. I wouldn't have ever thought I'd like a store bought salad. I looked at the ingredients and thought it seemed easy. I knew I had to try and make this recipe. My husband liked it as well and said he'd want to try it on a BLT so from that statement an idea was born. Make a deviled egg potato salad and then make a BLT and combined. So here is my finished product and might I say it was very good.



 Deviled Egg Potato Salad BLT 

What Ya'll Need:
Bacon
Lettuce
Tomato
Bread
Dani's Deviled Egg Potato Salad (use mine or your favorite)

What to Do:
I'm sure most can make a BLT so all you do is layer the bacon, tomato, lettuce and then top with deviled egg potato salad and eat up!