Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

8-10 flour tortillas
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
3 tablespoons flour
1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream
2 cups chicken broth
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chili peppers
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
black olives (optional)
tomato (optional)
green onion (optional)

Directions
In a saucepan, cook onion, garlic, coriander, and pepper in the butter (or olive oil) until the onion is tender.
Stir the flour into the sour cream, and then add to the onion mixture.
Stir in broth and chili peppers all at once.
Cook and stir until thick and bubbly.
Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 C of the cheese.
For Filling: Stir 1/2 C of the sauce into the chicken, mixing well.
Place about 2-3 soup-spoon-size of mixture on each tortilla and roll up.
Arrange rolls, seam side down, in a lightly greased 12x8x2 baking dish.
Top with remaining sauce.
Bake, covered, in 350* oven for 35 minutes.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake, uncovered, 5 minutes more until cheese melts.
Let stand 10 minutes.
Garnish tops with olives, tomatoes, and cheese.

(I like to add the tomato's diced to the sauce rather then using for a garnish.)

These Enchiladas are easy and delicious, my whole family enjoys them; they are even great as leftovers!!)

Glazed Baby Carrots

1 lb baby carrot, ready to cook
3 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 pinch salt (to taste)

Directions
Cook or steam carrots until they are crisp-tender.
Melt butter in skillet; add brown sugar and mustard and stir to make a smooth sauce.
Stir in carrots and coat well.
Cook 1-2 minutes more, until heated through.
Serve.

These delicious carrots are my husbands favorite, even my picky eater will devour these!

Cheeseburger Chowder

1 lb ground beef
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (2 cups)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp chopped green pepper
1 tbsp instant beef bouillon granules
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups milk
3 tbsp flour
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a 3-quart saucepan brown beef. Drain off excess fat. Stir in potatoes, celery, onion, green pepper, bouillon granules, salt, and 1 1/2 cups water. Cover and cook till vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes.

Blend 1/2 cup of the milk with the flour. Add to saucepan along with the remaining milk. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Add cheese; heat and stir just till cheese melts.

Mmmmm, Mmmmmm, Good!

Tuna Casserole

8 ounces egg noodles
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
4 ounces mushrooms, drained (optional)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 (7 ounce) can tuna, with juice

Cook egg noodles in boiling salted water.
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Mix all ingredients together in a large casserole dish, reserving 1/2 cup of cheese.
Sprinkle reserved cheese over the top.
Bake for 30 minutes.

Creamy and delicious, a great budget meal too! Our family loves this, and sometimes we'll crush soda crackers on-top before sprinkling with the reserved cheese. Yum!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

2 tablespoons margarine
1 onion, chopped
1 can of cream of celery soup

2 cups chicken broth
8 cups broccoli florets
3 tablespoons margarine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
ground black pepper to taste



DIRECTIONS
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium sized stock pot, and saute onion until tender.
Add broccoli, can of soup (with one full can of water) and broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree soup and return to heat.
In small saucepan, over medium-heat melt 3 tablespoons butter, stir in flour and add milk. Stir until thick and bubbly, and add to soup. Season with pepper and serve.

This soup is hearty and delicious, and is just as good heated up the next day!

My family gives this recipe five stars hands down!!

Pizza Dough

This version is fast and easy, no kneading required, and great for a last minute dinner choice!

3 c all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 2 tsp honey
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

Mix together and roll onto pizza tray.

Couscous Salad

I crave this salad often. If you like Greek salad, you will like this!

3 heaping serving spoonfuls of couscous (plain, or herb & garlic)
1/3 c black olives
1/2 red tomato, diced
1/3 c crumbled feta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp lime juice

Mix it up and enjoy!!

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

This is a great make-ahead recipe especially if you are feeding a big crowd.

Make enough potatos for about 10-12 people. Mash with one package of cream cheese and one cup of sour cream. Spoon into a casserole dish and cover the top with a layer of butter or margarine. Bake in the oven for 1 hr at 350 F. They come out creamy and amazing!

Tarrogon Chicken

This recipe is quick and easy, and for those two reasons, it is possibly my most used chicken recipe. Tasty too!

1/4 c butter, melted (or extra-virgin olive oil)
1/4 Dijon mustard
1 tbsp tarragon
5 or 6 chicken quarters

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine the butter, Dijon and tarragon. Brush over chicken on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hr or until done.

Crackling Cornbread

1 c stone-ground cornmeal
1 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 c granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c buttermilk (or 1 1/2 c milk with 1/2 c yogurt)
1 c crisp-cooked bacon, diced
6 tbsp sweet butter, melted
1 egg, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 inch-square baking pan.

Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then stir in buttermilk, bacon, butter and egg. Mix gently.

Pour batter into the prepared pan, set on the middle rack of oven and bake for 25 minutes. Cornbread is done when edges are lightely browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cut into 3-inch squares to serve.

9 squares

Tip: Sprinkle sugar on top of cornbread

Sloppy Joes

An all-time childhood favorite- fast and easy! My husband loves these, and it's the only sloppy joe recipe we'll make. Delicious!

2lbs ground hamburger
1/2 c diced onion
1 can tomato soup
1/4 c ketchup
1 tbsp vinegar
1/4 c brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic
1 can pork n' beans (optional)

Brown hamburger and saute onions, add everything else... let simmer 5 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns and enjoy!

Black Bean Chili

Nice change from "normal" chili...I love this stuff! You need the black bean sauce made to make this.

2 lbs ground beef
3 c onion, diced
2 green peppers, diced
1-28 oz can diced tomato
2 c black bean sauce
1 c salsa
3/4 c water (unless black bean sauce is thin)
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp salt
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
1-4oz can green chili peppers
2 c frozen corn

Brown ground beef. Drain. Saute onions and green pepper. Combine all ingredients. cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Black Bean Sauce

YUMMY!! This is my mom's recipe that she put together. I always find that I need way more water than that. Basically, when I soak the beans for 12 hours, I fill the bowl to the top with water once the beans are in it. Before I cook them, I pour some of the water off. While I'm cooking, I keep a close eye on the beans, because I often have to add more water to them, too. When they're done, drain some of the water off into a bowl before you mash them. Then add the water as you mash, if you want a thinner sauce. If you freeze some of the sauce, you'll probably have to add water to them when you reheat, as it will be a dryer consistency.

5C black beans
7C water (or more....don't let the bean soak all the water up and go dry)
3 tbsp lemon juice

Soak the beans for 12-24 hours before cooking. Then simmer for 2 hours. Add chopped onion (I use two), green pepper, diced (I only use one whole pepper), 5 cloves garlic, crushed, a bay leaf, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, 2 tbsp parsley, 3 tsp sea salt, 1 tbsp hot sauce and the juice of one lemon. Simmer for another 1/2 hour or until beans are soft. Mash to desired consistency, adding or draining bean water to get it.

Serve on rice with sour cream, sliced green olives, diced onion, chopped tomatoes, salsa, tortilla chips, etc. Be generous with the toppings!

Baked Meatballs

These are so GOOD and super easy to make! Leftovers freeze great!

Ingredients
1 c milk
1/2 c finely chopped onion
4 egg or 8 egg white
2 tsp salt (optional)
6 slices bread, crumbled (white or wheat- good with both)
3 lbs ground beef or ground turkey or ground pork (or any combination)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Combine milk, onion, eggs and salt. Stir in bread crumbs and let stand for 5 minutes. Crumble in the ground meat, and mix thoroughly. Shape into 8 dozen small meatballs 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on baking pans and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until done.

Chili Chicken Enchiladas (serves two)

These are rich, tasty and easy to make. Great on the second day, too!

1/4 c chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 c chicken broth
1-4 oz can chopped green chilies
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp pepper
1 c shredded Montery Jack
1/2 c sour cream
2 c chopped, cooked chicken
4 (8") flour tortillas
Sliced ripe olives, chopped tomatoes and green onion (optional) for garnish

Saute onion and garlic in butter. Combine flour and broth until smooth; gradually add to pan with onion. Stir in chilies, coriander and pepper. Bring to boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or untile thickened. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 c cheese and sour cream, until cheese is melted. Combine hicken and 2/4 c sauce. Place about 1/2 c chicken mixture down center of each torilla. Roll up and place seam down in greased 11x7 (or whatever size you have!) baking dish. Pour sauce over enchiladas. Bake, uncovered, at 350 F for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer.

Great-Grandma's Surprise Tarts

Oh-so-good! These tarts are sure to be a crowd-pleaser. To the few of you who will stumble across this humble blog in search of yummy eats: this is the first time I have ever handed this recipe out. I have coldly ignored the pitiful victims of their sugary goodness, selfishly hoarding the list of ingredients in my binder of family secrets. Sometimes I just want to keep a good thing to myself. It felt good being the only family that could provide the world with a mouthwatering dessert that would keep them begging for more. Granted, there are likely to be other similar, if not identical recipes somewhere. But I beg the privelege of releasing it under this title, for the first time ever, "Great-Grandma's Surprise Tarts."

You will need:

2 eggs, beaten
3/4 c white sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c coconut
pinch of salt
raspberry jam

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT the raspberry jam. Line 12 muffin tins with pastry. Spoon a teaspoon of raspberry jam into each pastry-lined tin and spread it out a little on the bottom. It doesn't need to be perfect. Top with the coconut mixture. Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before enjoying your first, and surely not your last, mouthful.

Baked Parmesan Chicken

THE ULTIMATE shake n' bake, this recipe is delicious!! My family loves this recipe and they request it often. Serves up great with potatos and veggies. Definitely a comfort food!!

1/2 c fine cracker or bread crumbs
1/2 c parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano

3 lbs. chicken or cut up chicken wings
1/4 cup butter (or margarine), melted

Combine first 9 ingredients in bowl - stir well. Brush chicken with melted butter. Coat with crumb mixture. Arrange on foil-lined baking sheet and bake @ 350* for about 1 1/2 hours or until tender.