Melty Bacon-Cheeseburger Dip

I have only made this once, but I really liked it.  The rest of the test group didn't seem to enjoy it as much, but they are a couple of moody bastards so you can't go by them... :)

 

This recipe is easy and kids love to make it:

Cook and drain 1# ground meat.

Mix with 1# cubed Velveeta, 1 can (drained) chopped tomatos or chopped green chilis.

Add 1c shredded mozzarella and 1/4 c bacon bits.

 

Heat over low heat in a saucepan  - OR -  microwave on high.  Stir every two minutes until cheese is fully melted.

Serve with tortilla chips or veggies for dipping!  You might need to pop the dip into the microwave to re-warm if it gets too thick as it cools.

Taco Muffins!?!

These turned out really tasty for something that was so quick and easy to make!  Try them for your Cinco de Mayo party!

The basis is Pillsbury Grand Jr biscuits.  You can put lots of different things on top.  One package has 10 biscuits; split them in half and press each half into a greased muffin pan.  (Don't use whole ones - they rise too much and push the toppings off)

Top with a tablespoon of cooked taco meat, a spoonful of taco sauce, and shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.  Cheese should be melted.  Then just scoop out of the muffin pan with a rubber scraper and serve with taco stuff.

Also try making this with pizza sauce and toppings.
The Grand Jr biscuits are a good size for standard muffin pans.  You can also make this without a muffin pan, but get the bigger biscuits and just press them together in a cake pan.

Cider Mac & Cheese

The ultimate comfort food!
The flavor is strong, sort of like cheese fondue, and goes really well with smoky ham or sausage.


13oz box macaroni of choice - cook as directed on package.



In medium pan on medium heat:


Melt: 3 TB butter.

Saute: 1 diced Granny Smith apple, 3 minutes

Sprinkle with 3 TB flour, mixing constantly.  The flour should make a pasty coating.

Slowly stir in 1 c. hard cider and 1 c. light cream.

Stir constantly over med-low heat until smooth.

Bring to boil, then stir in 12oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Mix until smooth.

Stir in pasta.

Pour into greased large roasting pan or casserole dish.  Top with more shredded cheese.

At this point you can refrigerate and bake later, but the flavor and texture will be better if you bake right away at 350 for about 20 minutes. If you refrigerate and bake later, increase baking time to 30 minutes.

Serve with the second half of the cider, if you haven't already finished it :)

Be sure to use hard distilled cider, such as Angry Orchard Crisp Apple (the alcohol evaporates during cooking and just leaves the cider flavor).  Sweet cider doesn't work for this. 

A Baddie but Goodie - Breakfast Calzone

There is nothing healthy about this recipe, but it is really very tasty. You can use more or less cheese to adjust to your preferences.



This can be made in advance and heated in the oven later.  I recommend allowing the potato and sausage patties to cool a bit before adding them - if they are too hot, they create a lot of steam inside which can mess up the top dough.  Don't let them get too cool though, because the inside won't be heated through by the time the dough is cooked.

Don't use thin crust dough - it rips.  Get the Classic crust.

Heat potato patties and sausage patties according to package directions.




Spread out one dough on greased cookie sheet.



Cover with layer of partly-cooled potato patties.



Top with cheese (you can use any kind of shredded or sliced cheeses.  I like spicy ones)



Next layer - precooked sausage patties.


Optional - another layer of cheese



Scramble 4 eggs with 3 TB milk.  Optional - add spices such as black pepper or Tabasco sauce.
Spread egg layer on top.


Optional - crumbled bacon


Cover with second dough and crimp edges.



Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.


Serve immediately with salsa and sour cream. 

Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

Way back in years gone by, this recipe used to be on the Bisquick box.  I don't know why it isn't anymore, because it still works :)



I have not tried it with GF Bisquick; if anyone tries it that way, please share your results.



Saute 1lb ground meat and drain.  Optional: 1/2 diced onion.  Sprinkle with 1/4 ts. salt and spread in pie plate. (I use Montreal Steak Seasoning instead of the plain salt)



In medium bowl, mix:

1/2 c. Bisquick baking mix
1 c. milk
2 eggs


Pour over meat in pie plate.


Sprinkle with 1c shredded cheddar cheese


Optional: crumbled bacon, chives, sauteed mushrooms


Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Serve with salsa or barbecue sauce.

Huevos Rancheros

If your long weekend includes plans for brunch, try this!  Its easy, and very tasty...



Huevos rancheros is a mexican farm-style breakfast food, and there are many ways to make it.  I just made this one up, but you can easily customize it to include your favorites.



In large saute pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil.

Add 1 diced green pepper and scallions.

Saute 3 minutes, then add:
    1 can white beans, drained
    1 can diced tomatoes (don't drain)
    1 7oz can green chilis
     8oz diced ham
     optional:  black olives



Cover, simmer 20 minutes.



There should be some liquid in the pan, which is needed to poach the eggs.


The key is to slip each egg from a small bowl or cup into divots dug in the mix.  If you hold the bowl close to the surface of the mix, the yolk won't break.

Use a big spoon to dig a little hole, then slip an egg in it. Keep digging holes until it has as many eggs as you want. I usually plan on three per person.



When all eggs are in, simmer covered on medium low heat for 15 minutes.




Sprinkle with shredded cheese, and cook covered for another 5 minutes.



Serve with english muffins, sour cream, hashbrowns, guacamole & sour cream, and tabasco sauce.

Zesty Buffalo Chicken Calzone

Calzones are fast and easy to make!



2 Pillsbury Pizza Crust dough (not thin crust)
1 pkg Perdue Short Cuts - original roasted
1/2 c diced ham
1 pkg microwave bacon, cooked crispy
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 c. blue cheese crumbles
16oz shredded mozzarella
Buffalo Chicken Sauce (I use Franks)


Spread one dough on cookie sheet or baking stone.

Layer with chicken, celery and ham.

Splash with sauce, then top with bacon and cheeses.


Stretch second dough over top and crimp edges.

Sprinkle with parsley.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes - it will take a little longer than the package directions because it is thick with cold ingredients.


I use Franks Buffalo sauce because it tastes the way I think buffalo sauce should, but you should use your favorite if you have one...

Even with the cheese and bacon, this version has lower calories than a similar calzone from a restaurant, and lower cost too :)

Stuffed Potato Skins Wraps

These are like loaded potato skins, in two-bite wraps!

Stuff them with anything you like in potato skins...



Bake or fry tater tots according to package directions.

Load your wraps!


Fold sides in like an envelope to cover stuffing.

Moisten edges of final flap to seal.


Place in rows on baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.



Spray tops of rolls with spray too.





Bake at 400F for 10-12 minutes, until tops are golden brown and puffy.


Serve with sour cream or plain greek yogurt for dipping.

CheeseSteak & Bacon Pie

Next in the "What Else Can I Put Into Pie Crust" series...

It is like a cheesesteak sub, in a pie.  Add anything you would order in a steak sub, such as onions, peppers, salami. I used mushrooms and bacon, and WOW was that tasty :)  Bacon is good with lots of things, but really added the right flavor to this recipe.



1.Saute sandwich-shredded beef (most grocery store meat counters will have this). Drain, then add pepper and salt. (I use Montreal Steak seasoning)


2. Saute whatever veggies you might want - pepper, onion, mushrooms, etc.  If you are making Steak Bomb Pie with salami, try slicing the salami into strips and saute a little bit before adding to the pie.




3. Microwave 1 pkg bacon according to package directions.  (trust me on the bacon).  Crumble when cool.



4. Here comes the fun part - Fill pie! 



5. Layer sliced american cheese on top. The cheese really makes the texture come out right, but if you want to do a dairy-free version, use a small jar of brown gravy instead.





6. The top crust will come out better if you put some or all of the crumbled bacon between the cheese and the top crust.  If the crust touches the cheese it gets stuck to it and won't rise.





7. Bake @ 350 for 40 minutes, covering the crust edge with foil after 20 minutes.  Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes (if you can hold off that long).

Taco Lasagna!

(1) 24 pc package of soft corn tortillas

2# ground meat, cooked and drained

1 pkg taco seasonings

2 cans refried beans

(2) pkg Spanish Rice, prepared according to package

big package shredded cheese (always go for the big package:)

 (2) large jars taco sauce




Smear bottom of large baking pan or lasagna pan with a little taco sauce.

Layer 8 tortillas to cover pan.

Combine cooked meat with taco spices according to spice package directions in same skillet used to cook meat. 

Stir in refried beans and spread in even layer over tortillas.

optional: diced onion, sliced olives




Cover with another layer of 8 tortillas



Spread even layer of cooked rice and sprinkle with most of the cheese.



Place final layer of 8 tortillas.


Cover with taco sauce.


Bake covered with foil at 375 for 1 hour.

Uncover, bake another 15 minutes.  Can add another sprinkle of cheese if desired.


Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, tortilla chips.



This can be made Gluten Free if you check the ingredients in the rice, refried beans, and taco seasonings.

Quick & Easy Pepperoni Snack Rolls

This one is really easy, and everyone loves them :)


GET:
2 - 10 pc pkgs Pillsbury biscuit rolls 
Block of sharp cheddar, cut into 20 slices
package of sliced pepperoni






Flatten each biscuit a little.

Place a slice of cheese and a few slices of pepperoni.

Fold all edges into the middle and press together.













Flip them over and place on greased baking sheet.




Optional: sprinkle with basil, oregano, parmesan.

Bake according to biscuit directions on package.




Serve while hot with pizza sauce for dipping.

MexiCorn Chowder

Just in time for your Superbowl Party!

This recipe makes a whole stockpot full.  You can cut it down, but the proportions don't come out quite right.  Leftovers reheat quite well though, and you can even freeze some.

1. saute 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use a whole bag of Perdue frozen tenderloins)

2. Chop chicken into bite sized pieces.

3. Add to stock pot with:
  (2) 10oz cans Fiesta Corn, drained (don't use the kind with black beans and onions - the spices in it don't work with this)
  8oz can chopped green chilis, undrained
  32 oz can chicken broth
  3 cans Cream of Potato soup
  1 package powdered taco seasoning

4. Heat and stir on med-hi until low boil.  Reduce heat, cover, simmer 1 hour.

5. Stir in 8oz tub sour cream.
Bring to quick boil for 3 minutes.

6.  Serve with shredded cheddar and tortilla chips.


I usually use fat-free sour cream.  It will look grainy until it reaches boiling, and then will smooth out.  The sour cream adds flavor and thickness. It might be possible to use greek yogurt instead, but I don't know how it would hold up to being cooked.  The sour cream does not separate when microwaving leftovers.  I can eat this all week!


It really is simple - just cook the chicken, and then put in all these cans of stuff.  Probably  not recommended for those following a low-sodium lifestyle :)