Tamale Pie

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 T. ground cumin
• 1 t. salt
• 3 T. chili powder
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 1 T. sugar
  
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained
• 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 cans tomato sauce
  
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
  
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 1 package corn bread/muffin mix
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• Sour cream and additional minced fresh cilantro, optional

Directions

• In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 4-qt. slow cooker; stir in the beans, tomatoes, corn, tomato sauce, onions, cilantro, cumin, salt, chili powder, sugar and pepper. . Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until heated through.
• In a small bowl, combine muffin mix and eggs; spoon over meat mixture. Cover and cook 1 hour longer or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream and additional cilantro if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

Picnic Pasta Salad

A quick & easy recipe from Eat Better America...with a few additions of course :)

Ingredients:
1 pkg. bow-tie pasta, cooked
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 c. Italian dressing
1 T. fresh basil, chopped
1 t. fresh oregano, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
5 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
1 can sliced olives
8 oz. grated Parmesan cheese

Tomato & Mozzarella Salad

We made this tonight for a family BBQ. It's always a favorite. Simple & delicious!

Ingredients:
4 c. cherry tomatoes
8 oz. fresh mozzarella
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 c. basil leaves, chopped

**It's best when it's fresh. So don't make it too far in advance & try to finish what you make the same day**

Simple Peach Cobbler

2 (16 oz.) cans peach slices w/juice
1 pkg. Pillsbury yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, cubed

Lay peaches and juice in bottom of a baking dish. Sprinkle dry cake mix on top of peaches. Dot with the butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until cobbler is golden. Serve warm with ice cream.

**I like to use Pillsbury brand because it has pudding in the cake mix & helps the cobbler set up better**

Red Velvet Cupcakes w/Cream Cheese Frosting

Don't these just look oh-so-tasty? I've got to try this recipe out! Got it from this great blog.

red velvet cupcakes
1 package of german chocolate cake mix
1 small package (3.4 oz) of vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1, 1-oz bottle of red food coloring
3 large eggs
1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. mix cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil, water, food coloring & eggs in a large mixing bowl until well mixed.

3. using a spoon, fold in the mini chocolate chips.

4. fill your cupcake pan, or cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full.

5. place pans in the oven & bake approximately 18+ minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean, or the cupcakes “springs back” when lightly pressed.

6. cool for approximately 15 minutes before frosting.

* more concerned with how red your cupcakes are, as opposed to the chocolate-ness of the cake? start with a white or yellow cake mix instead.

cream cheese frosting
1, 8-oz package cream cheese
1 stick of softened butter
1 tsp. vanilla
4+ cups of powdered sugar

1. mix cream cheese, butter & vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth & well combined.

2. slowly add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until desired taste achieved. be sure to scrape down the side of bowl with a spatula.

3. once well combined, beat for an additional minute or so, until everything is creamy & fluffy.

4. using a pastry bag or ziplock bag, smother your cupcakes in mounds of yummy & delicious frosting.

Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

This is a great meal if you're in a hurry. Just throw all the ingredients in the crock pot and forget about it! If you replace uncooked rice for a can of beans, it would really be a one pot wonder!

Ingredients

• 4 cans (16 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 package (14 ounces) smoked turkey sausage, sliced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 small sweet red pepper, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 green onions, chopped
• Hot cooked rice

Directions

• In a 4-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 11 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until heated through. Stir before serving. Discard bay leaf.
• Sprinkle each serving with onions. Serve with rice. Yield: 9 servings.

Chicken Mole Ole

I love my Taste of Home magazine! And I love to use my crock pot in the summer. It doesn't heat up your house the same as the oven or stove top. I was a little nervous about this recipe (since I'd never had mole before & was apprehensive about cooking with chocolate), but it was delicious! Glad I made enough for leftovers. :)

Ingredients

• 2 dried ancho chilies ( I didn't have these)
  
• 1-1/2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed, halved
• 2 medium onions, sliced, divided
• 1 serrano pepper, halved and seeded
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 pounds bone-in chicken breast halves, skin removed
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 whole cloves
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions

• Place chilies in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water; let stand for 20 minutes. Drain. Remove stems and seeds. Coarsely chop; set aside. Place the tomatillos, 1 onion, serrano pepper and garlic in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 10-15 minutes or until tender, stirring once.
• In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil. Transfer to a 4-qt. slow cooker. In the same skillet, saute remaining onion until tender. Add 1 teaspoon cumin, chili powder, pepper, cinnamon, cloves and hydrated chilies; cook 1 minute longer. Discard cloves.
• Place almonds in a food processor; cover and process until ground. Add spiced onion mixture and chocolate; cover and process until blended. Transfer to a small bowl.
• Place the tomatillo mixture, lime juice, salt and remaining cumin in food processor; cover and process until chopped. Stir into almond mixture. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and cilantro. Yield: 6 servings.

**I had a hard time getting the sauce to be "smooth" so I recommend blending it again AFTER it has finished cooking**

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:
2 lb. sirloin, cut into strips
2 T. canola oil
1 c. beef broth
1 envelope beef stroganoff seasoning
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, diced
2 t. ground mustard
1 t. garlic powder
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sour cream
Egg Noodles

Directions:
1. Brown beef in oil. Transfer to crock pot.
2. Mix together broth, stroganoff seasoning, mustard, mushroom soup & garlic powder. Pour into crock pot.
3. Add mushrooms & onion. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Strawberries & Cream Pie

This is a great easy dessert recipe for the summer...especially if you have lots of berries lying around. :) I used raspberries instead of strawberries, and it was delicious!

Ingredients:
1 c. chocolate chips
3 t. shortening
1 graham cracker crust
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. sour cream
1 t. vanilla
1 tub cool whip, thawed
2 c. fresh strawberries, halved

Directions:
1. Combine chocolate chips & shortening in a bowl & melt in the microwave. Pour 3/4 of mixture into the bottom of the crust & refrigerate until firm.
2. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream & vanilla until smooth. Fold in cool whip. Pour onto crust & refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Arrange strawberries over pie. Microwave the chocolate (again), and drizzle over pie. Refrigerate until pie is set (overnight).

Too Much Chocolate Cake

Now this looks like the kind of cake my husband would love! Go here for the recipe!

Peanut Butter Granola

Mix together:
8 c. 7-grain cereal
1 c. brown sugar
8 oz. wide coconut
8 oz. pecans, chopped

Boil:
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. peanut butter (I use the freshly ground kind from the health food store)
Remove from heat and add:
2 t. vanilla

Directions:
1. Add liquid to dry ingredients, & mix well. Spread on 2 cookie sheets & bake for 2 hours at 200 degrees. Add 8 oz. of banana chips after baking.