Cheesy Chicken Thighs and Rice

This casserole is delicious!  

 Cheesy Chicken Thighs with Rice

6-8 chicken boneless chicken thighs

2 cans cheddar cheese soup

1 can cream of chicken with herbs soup

3 cups cooked rice

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon paprika

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 bunch broccoli, cut up and par boiled (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 13 or a large casserole dish.

In a large bowl, combine the soups, milk, garlic, onion powder, paprika and red pepper flakes.  Spread the cooked rice in the bottom of the pan or dish.  Top with the chicken thighs.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place the pieces of broccoli all around the chicken. Pour the soup mixture over the chicken and rice.   Work down into the rice with a fork. Top with the grated cheese.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, making sure the chicken is well cooked.

Congo Bars

 When I was 11-years-old, I went to stay with a friend who had moved from our town.  While I was there, her mother made Congo Bars.  I thought they were the most delicious thing I had ever eaten.  I didn't get the recipe then, but I remembered the name.  I recently happened onto this recipe online.  I couldn't make it fast enough.  Yes, it is the taste I remember!  They are so soft  and chewy and delicious and full of chocolate.  And they are easy to make!  This recipe is a winner!

Congo Bars

1 cup butter at room temperature

2 cups brown sugar, packed

3 large eggs at room temperature

1 Tablespoon vanilla

 1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder 

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat to 350  Line a 9x13 with parchment paper.  Spray with nonstick spray.

In your mixer beat together the butter and brown sugar for about 2 minutes.

  Add eggs, vanilla, salt, and baking powder.  Mix well to combine.  Scrape the bowl and mix again.  Add the flour and mix until just combined.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Put the dough into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula.  Bake until the edges are set, but the middle may seem underbaked.  About 30 minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes.  Then remove from pan and let cool.

Bed Pillow Cleaner

 

Every four months, I wash our bed pillows.  Though I don't think it matters a great deal what you use to clean them, this is the recipe I used this time.  They turned out so clean and white.

Bed Pillow Cleaner

A squirt of Dawn 

Laundry detergent, your usual brand and amount

1 pod Cascade dishwasher detergent (or whatever you use)

1 cup bleach

1/2 cup Borax

Very hot water

Boil some water to add to the hot water in your washing machine.  I just did a 1/2 gallon or so.

Squirt in the Dawn and add the detergent.  Put two pillows in your machine, balanced on either side.

Add bleach and Borax.  Run the cycle with an extra rinse cycle.

Dry the pillows in the dryer.  I use the time dry setting because my feather pillow takes so long to dry.  

Berry Dump Cake

 We had friends coming over and I needed a dessert in a hurry.  This was so fast, easy and yummy.  

Berry Dump Cake

Dump the following into a 13 x 9 pan.

3 cups frozen blueberries

3 cups frozen strawberries

Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar over top, then 2 T. lemon juice.

Top with one box of white cake mix.

Slice 3/4 cup butter and put the pats all over the top OR melt the butter and pour it over all.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Let cool slightly and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.  

Cake Mix Bars

 

Cake Mix Bars

Whisk together in a bowl:

1 white or yellow cake mix

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

Press half of the dough into a 13x9 pan.

Melt 1/2 cup butter

Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Whisk together until chips are melted and all is well blended.  Pour over crust.  Put the rest of the cake mix dough over the top in clumps.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Homemade Ice Cream

 This is our sister-in-law, Kathy's recipe.  It is much simpler than our old standard recipe.  Ken made it the other night to go on our cobbler.  It was delicious.

Homemade Ice Cream ( for a 2- quart freezer)

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup cream

4 1/2 cups milk

2 tsp. vanilla

Put all in ice cream machine and freeze.

For chocolate, add 1/2 cup cocoa powder.  

3-Berry Crumble

 I was looking for a crumble or cobbler recipe online.  On our cruise this summer, they offered a warm cobbler with ice cream almost every evening for dessert.  So I was searching and was intrigued with this one.  I tried it and we really liked it.

3- Berry Crumble

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup frozen butter

2 egg yolks

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar 

1 cup blueberries

1 cup raspberries 

1 cup blackberries

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsps. cornstarch

2 tsps. lemon juice

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 pinch cayenne pepper

Heat oven to 375

Make crumble:  Combine flour, sugar, bp, and salt in a large bowl.  Whisk together.  Grate the frozen butter.  As you grate, stop several times and mix some in with the flour mixture.  Stir in egg yolks and vanilla with a fork.  Mix with hands until forms clumps.  Add the vinegar and mix in.  Add a little more vinegar if needed to form a dough.  Let rest.

Filling:  Combine the berries in a different bowl.  Add sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, zest, and cayenne pepper.  Mix well until sugar is dissolved.

Place 1/2 crumble mixture in the bottom of a 8x8 pan or a baking dish.  Press into the bottom., making it flat.  Spread the filling on top.  Put the other half of the crumble mixture on top in clumps.  Bake for about 40-45 minutes. Let cool for about 1/2 hour. Serve with vanilla ice cream on top.

Ham and Cheese Roll ups

 These make delicious little appetizer pinwheels.  

Ham and Cheese Roll ups

4 flour tortillas

8 oz. cream cheese or 8 oz. soft cream cheese spread

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 T. pickle relish

2 T. green onion, clipped with scissors (opt.)

1/2 lb. deli ham

Mix together the cream cheese and garlic salt,  stir in the cheese and relish and green onion if desired. Spread the mixture evenly over the four tortillas.  Be sure to spread to the edges.  Divide the ham evenly between the four tortillas.  Roll up each tightly and wrap each roll in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 4-8 hours.  Unwrap and cut off the edges of each roll.  Then cut the sandwiches in half and serve or cut in 1/8ths for pinwheel appetizers.  Can store in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Vegetable Casserole

 I was surprised how much we liked this unusual dish.  It was really delicious.  The leftovers were even good.  You can eliminate any vegetables from this list that you don't like and could add any that you want.  

Vegetable Casserole

2 bunches brocolli, cut up

1/2 head cauliflower, cut up

Put the cauliflower in some boiling, salted water.  Add 2 T. milk.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Add the broccoli and boil another 2 minutes.  Use a strainer spoon to put the vegetables in a prepared 9x13 pan.  

In a fry pan sauté:

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 box mushrooms, sliced

When soft, add to the baking pan. 

Slice several grape tomatoes and add in.

Mix together in a bowl:

4 eggs 

5 T. oil

1 cup flour

Salt and Pepper to taste

When well mixed, add 2 1/2 cups milk and mix well.

Cut up fresh parsley and mix in.  Pour this mixture over the veggies.  Grate about 1 cup cheese and sprinkle on top.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  

Crockpot Pumpkin Cobbler

 Our oven broke.  I needed to make a dessert that I could bake in my crockpot.  I found this recipe online.  I make Pumpkin Cobbler every year, but had never tried it in the crockpot.  It was pretty good, but my crockpot cooks too fast, so even on low it burns on the edges.  So there were some burned flecks in it.  But it was still good.  It sure smelled yummy while baking!

Crockpot Pumpkin Cobbler

Mix together in a large bowl:

3 eggs, beaten

1 large can pumpkin

1 can evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix well and use a spatula to pour into a sprayed crockpot.  Turn it on low heat.

Sprinkle on top:

1 box yellow cake mix

4 Tablespoons brown sugar

3/4 cup melted butter

Toffee bits, if desired.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours until cake is flaky.  Serve with whipped cream on top.  

Crockpot Chicken and Vegetables

 This recipe is a keeper!  It was so delicious and so easy to put together.  My husband was CRAZY about this dinner!

All in the crockpot in a very few minutes.

It looks kind of messy, but it was delicious.

Crockpot Chicken and Vegetables

2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut up

1 bag frozen green beans

1 envelope onion soup mix

Put all in crockpot.  Sprinkle with garlic salt, pepper, garlic powder, and salt.

Cut 6 new potatoes in half and add in.  Add a generous portion of minced garlic and 1 box of sliced mushrooms.

Top with 1 stick of butter, cut up.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Drain Cleaner

 

Drain Cleaner

Pour 1 cup soda down your drain (kitchen sink, bathroom sink, laundry room sink, shower, bathtub)

Then pour 1 cup vinegar down the drain.

Let work for a few minutes while you boil water.  Then pour boiling water down for a chaser.  Do once a month.  It will help keep your drain gunk free and smelling sweet. 

Crockpot Pork Chops

 I put this recipe together so fast and it was really tasty.  It makes a delicious gravy that you can serve over potatoes or rice.

Crockpot Pork Chops

1 onion, sliced

4 pork chops

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 can water

1 pkg. mushrooms

1 pkg. ranch dressing mix

1 pkg. onion soup mix

Brown meat and season with salt and pepper.  Put onions in crockpot.  Add meat, mushrooms, soup, ranch mix, and onion soup mix. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours.  

Cowboy Stew

 This stew was absolutely delicious.  We both really loved it and enjoyed the leftovers until the last bite.  I thought Ken would like it, but was surprised how much I enjoyed it too.  

Cowboy Stew

4 slices bacon, chopped (opt.)

2 12 oz. Kilbasa sausages, sliced in 1/2 inch pennies

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, sliced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tablespoons flour

1 1/2 teaspoons chili  powder

1 15 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes with juice

2 16 oz cans baked beans

1 7 oz can chopped green chilis, don't drain

1 can corn, don't drain

2 potatoes, chopped in about 1/2 cubes

1 cup water

Cook the bacon until crispy.  Remove and drain on paper towels, then chop.

Add the sausage to the bacon drippings and brown well.  Add the ground beef and onion and cook until browned.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle the flour over all.  Cook and stir for a minute.  Add the bacon,potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, baked beans, green chilis, corn, and water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally.  You may need to add more water during cooking.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Top with fresh parsley to serve, if desired.

Parmesan Green Beans

 These beans are delicious and so easy to make.  They really make a tasty and nutritious side .

Parmesan Green Beans

Put 1 bag of frozen green beans into a baking dish.  Top with about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, Garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Bake at 400 for about 35 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with parmesan cheese.  Toss together and serve.  

Easy Beef Stroganoff

 

Beef in Creamy Gravy

Dice enough beef to fill a skillet (about a quart of beef pieces.)  Put the beef in a bowl.

To diced beef, add 1 Tablespoon of mayonnaise.  Mix well and let sit.

In a large skillet, melt 1 Tablespoon Butter

Add 1 diced onion and 3 cloves garlic, minced.

Saute until golden.  Add meat.  Mix well and cook until the meat changes color and starts to release water.  Season with paprika, salt, and pepper.  Add 1 cup water with 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce in it.   Put the lid on and cook 15 minutes.  Remove the lid and add 1 Tablespoon each of ketchup and mustard.  Mix well and cook for a few minutes, reducing the liquid.  Add 8 ounces of cream cheese, cut up.  Turn the heat off and mix well until the cream cheese is melted and all is well blended.  Serve with potatoes or rice.

We loved this dish!  It was really tasty.

Easy Crockpot (or Baked) Chicken

 This chicken was so quick and easy.  It has a yummy sweet and sour taste.  You can cook it in a crockpot or bake it in the oven for an hour at 350.

Easy Crockpot Chicken

2 chicken breasts

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup water

2 packages dry onion soup

Place the chicken in the crockpot or in a baking dish.  Mix together the other ingredients:

Spread the sauce on the chicken and cook for several hours in the crockpot or bake in the oven at 350 for about an hour.   Delicious served with rice.

Glazed Carrots

 These are so yummy!

Glazed Carrots

1 lb, carrots, peeled and sliced

Put the carrots in a large skillet and add:

1/4 cup butter

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

Salt and Pepper

Stir and cook until the butter is melted.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Stir and add 1-2 Tablespoons of white vinegar.  Stir and cook until thickened and browned.  

Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken Thighs

 This recipe has been in my "to make" file for a long time.  So long, in fact, that I don't remember where I got it.  But it is a good one!  I was so glad I made it.  It's economical, easy, and delicious.  This one's a keeper!

Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken Thighs

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

Salt and Pepper

3 Tablespoons butter

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 T. honey

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp. basil

Preheat oven to 400

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Melt 2 T. butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear until brown- 2-3 minutes per side.  Remove the chicken to a plate.

Melt 1 T. butter in the same skillet, stirring to loosen the browned bits.  Add garlic.  Cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in brown sugar, honey, and spices.  Turn off the heat and return the chicken to the skillet, skin-side down.

Put the skillet in the oven and roast in the oven until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear.  It should take 25-40 minutes.  165 degrees.

Drizzle the pan sauce over the chicken to serve.

Pasta in Rose Cream Sauce

 

Pasta in Rose Cream Sauce

Heat a Dutch oven and add some olive oil.  Add 1 chopped onion and cook until soft.  Add some minced garlic and cook and stir together.  Add 1 1/2-pound ground beef* and cook all together.  Add some salt, pepper, and oregano.

Cook until the beef is browned, drain fat.

Add: 1 jar Rao Marinara Sauce

Mix together.  Add 1/2 lb. broken spaghetti over the top.  Add 1/2 jar water, then 1 jar Rao Garlic Alfredo Sauce.  Then sprinkle with handfuls of Mozzarella cheese.  Cover and cook on medium or medium low for 15 minutes.  Stir and cook another 15 minutes or until pasta is done and all is hot and bubbly.   Serve.

*You can leave out the meat if you want it meatless.

Brazilian Lemonade

 Our friends brought us these cool, refreshing drinks.  Perfect for a hot summer day!

Brazilian Lemonade

1 bottle lime juice (4.23 oz)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

4 cups ice cubes

1/2 cup water

Put all in the blender and blend until the ice is crushed.

So refreshing!!

Mystery Rolls

 I got this recipe from Ree Drummond- the Pioneer Woman.  She said her mother made these often.  They were easy and yummy.

Mystery Rolls 

1 can flaky biscuits 

4 ounces crumbled blue cheese or gorganzola cheese

1 stick butter

 Preheat oven to 350

Cut biscuits into fourths. Melt butter and cheese on a pan. Roll biscuit pieces in cheese and butter.

Bake until rolls are done.  8-12 minutes.

As the rolls bake, occasionally brush the rolls with the butter/cheese.

Hamburger Steaks in Onion/ Mushroom Gravy

 Do you ever watch Brenda Gandt videos on Facebook?  She is a cute southern lady who cooks simple Southern recipes right in her simple kitchen. 

 I wrote down this recipe while she cooked.  It is simple, but delicious.  This one is for your meat and potatoes man.

Hamburger Steaks in Onion Gravy

1 1/2 lb. hamburger

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper

Mix together and form into patties.  Melt butter and fry the patties on both sides.  Remove the meat and add flour, enough to soak up the grease.  Stir the flour with the meat drippings.  Add water (she used water, I chose beef broth) or beef broth to make a gravy.  In a separate fry pan, saute  2 onions sliced thin in butter.  Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until onions are soft and golden.  Add mushrooms (opt.  This is my addition) and continue to cook for awhile.  Add to the gravy and stir well. Put the meat back in the gravy and cook until it makes a nice gravy.  Serve over mashed potatoes.

This is comfort food at its best!

Pasta Bowls

 This is a technique I learned from the chefs at a resort where we stayed in Mexico.  They would make it to order right in front of you.  You can use any kind of pasta, sauce, and veggies to create your pasta bowl.

We did bowtie pasta with marinara sauce, meatball, chopped onion, mushrooms, garlic, and fresh tomatoes.

Pasta Bowls

Individual Pasta of choice: Rotelle, penne, farfalle, shells, etc.

Sauce/ sauces  of choice: marinara, meat sauce, alfredo

Chopped vegetables of choice: mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, peppers, squash, etc.

Cook pasta according to directions.  While it is cooking:

Heat some oil in a small sauté pan.  Cook vegetables of choice until softened.

When the vegetables are cooked to your liking, add sauce of choice.  Stir and cook together until hot.  Add in cooked pasta.  Cook for a minute, then put on plate or in bowl and top with parmesan cheese.

Each individual can make their own, or you can do as big a batch as you like for as many as you like.  

Cranberry White Chocolate Bread

 Our cute next door neighbors bring us baked goods frequently.  The last she brought was this delicious Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Bread.  They brought it warm while Michelle and Brian were visiting, and it was devoured within minutes. I begged the recipe and was surprised how easy it is.  Like my neighbor said, "It's almost a crime how easy it is." I have made it several times.  You can easily double the recipe.  Eat one/ Share one.  You can alter this same basic recipe to make all kinds of breads.  See the suggestions below.  

You have to try this.  You will be glad.

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Bread

3 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp yeast

2 cups room temperature water- start with 1 1/2 cups and add more as needed.

Mix the flour, salt and yeast until combined in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of dried cranberries and  1 cup of white chocolate chips.  Add the water until it isn't dry, but not too wet.  Cover with saran wrap and let it sit for 6 to 24 hours. (That's a big window.  It rises slowly, so I think any time in there works.  I usually rise it overnight.)

 Then stir the risen bread once to release the air.  Grease a bread pan with oil.  Place the dough in the pan and let rise for an hour covered with a dish towel.  Bake at 400 for 30 minutes (put another bread pan on top or a dish).  After 30 minutes , take the covering off and bake another 10 minutes.  

Other options:

- Use 1 cup of wheat flour in place of 1 cup of the white flour

Instead of the cranberries and white chocolate chips, try adding:

-1/2 cup of shredded cheese and 1 diced jalapeno for Jalapeno Bread.

- 1/4 cup chopped almonds, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, and 1/4 cup flax seeds for nutty bread

-1/2 cup raisins and 2 tsps. cinnamon for cinnamon raisin bread

Broccoli Cheddar Rice Casserole

 This is not the exact recipe, but is reminiscent of a recipe my roommate in college would make.  We ate together, taking turns cooking, and she would often make her version of this recipe. It is an easy, meatless recipe, but you could add cooked chicken if you wish.  Or it could be served as a side dish.

Broccoli Rice Casserole

6 cups broccoli florets, chopped

2 cups cooked rice

4 T. butter

1 onion, diced

4 T. flour

2 cups whole milk

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. paprika

4 T. Cream cheese, softened

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Salt and Pepper

1 tube Ritz crackers, crushed

2 T. Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 2  qut casserole dish.  On the stove in a large saucepan, melt the butter over med. low heat.  Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes, whisking.

Pour in the milk, whisking as you pour.  Cook over medium heat until mixture bubbles and thickens.  Remove from the heat and add the seasonings.  Stir.  Add the cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese.  Stir until melted.  Season with salt and pepper.

Blanche the broccoli in salted water for 2 minutes.  Drain.  Stir together the rice, broccoli, and cheese sauce and transfer it to your prepared baking dish.  Top with remaining cheese.  Mix together the crackers and butter and sprinkle over the casserole.  Bake about 35 minutes.  The top should be golden and the casserole bubbly.

Pound Cake

 It was our turn to host our family gathering.  What should I make for dessert?  I thought strawberries over pound cake would be seasonal and delicious.  But when I tried to find pound cake to buy, it was very expensive. "I can make it cheaper than that."  So I went searching on the Internet and found this delicious and easy recipe.  

Pound Cake

4 eggs

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tablespoons vanilla

1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a loaf pan or you can use parchment paper, which is what I did.

In a mixer with a whisk attachment, cream the butter.  Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Scrape and beat some more.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between.  Scrape and beat.  '

Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat well.  Add in the dry ingredients and beat until moistened.  Don't overmix.  Transfer batter to the loaf pan.  Smooth the top.  Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes until skewer comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes then put out on the cooling rack to finish cooling.  Cut into 12 slices.

It was delicious with macerated cut up strawberries with sugar added and fresh whipped cream on top.

Perfect Popcorn

 Oh no!  I went to put in a bag of microwave popcorn to pop and eat while we watched a movie and found it was gone!  I guess I will have to pop corn the old-fashioned way.  And I was glad.  It was so much better than the microwave easy version.  And it wasn't that hard.  I googled a recipe and found a very good one!

Perfect Popcorn

3 Tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil

1/3 cup popcorn

1 Tablespoon or more butter

Heat the oil in a heavy pan with a lid.  Put 3 or 4 kernels in the oil.  When the kernels pop, add the rest of the popcorn.  Cover the pot and remove from the heat.  Count to 30.  Then put the pan back on the heat.  The popcorn will start popping soon and all at once because you heated the kernels evenly.  Leave the lid slightly ajar to release steam while it pops and move the pan back and forth over the heat.  When you can count to 5 between pops, remove the pan from the stove and pour the popcorn into a bowl.  Put the butter in the pan and heat until melted.  Pour over the popcorn and salt to taste.  

There you have it.  Perfect popcorn!

Frito Pie

I have heard of Frito Pie for a long time and finally decided to find a recipe and try it.  It was really delicious.  It is very similar to a recipe I've made for many years called Enchilada Casserole.  Ken liked this better, but I'm loyal to my old standby.  Both are delicious.

Frito Pie

1 lb. ground beef

 1 onion, chopped

1 packet taco seasoning

1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes with chilis)

1 can ranch style beans or pinto beans

1 can corn, drained

1 package fritos

Grated cheese

Brown the ground beef and onion together.  Mix in the taco seasoning and mix well.  Put in the Rotel, beans, and corn.  Combine and heat in the skillet. 

In a casserole dish, put in about 3/4 of the bag of fritos.  Add the meat mixture, then top with plenty of grated cheese. 

 Serve with any or all of the following toppings:

The rest of the Fritos

Sour cream

Lettuce

Olives

Avocado, diced or made into guacamole

diced fresh tomatoes

We used all of the optional toppings.  It was delicious.

Cheesy Pasta with Ham and Peas

 Kristen made up this recipe and it is delicious.  Her kids love it.

Cheesy Pasta with Ham and Peas

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook 1 lb. pasta of choice according to box directions.

Make a white sauce by melting 1/4 cup butter in saucepan.  Blend in 1/4 cup flour, salt, and pepper.  Add 2 cups milk and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and bubbles.  Add 1 cup grated cheese and stir until melted.  

In a small skillet, saute ham chunks until carnalized.  You can use lunch meat ham or cut up a ham steak.  Add to the sauce along with a bag of frozen petite peas. Blend and heat through. 

Serve over pasta of choice.  Or you can mix the sauce with the pasta and serve.  

German Pancakes

 When our children were young, I made this frequently.  Now they are making it for their families.  Everyone loves German Pancakes.

German Pancakes

6 eggs

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

Put 1/2 cube of butter in a 9x13 pan.  Preheat oven to 450.  While preheating, put the pan with the butter in the oven until the butter has melted.  Beat all ingredients together in a bowl and pour over the melted butter.  Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven.  Cut and serve with syrup or blended  frozen strawberries (sweeten with sugar or applesauce,) warmed.  Or you can make this delicious fruit topping:

Fruit topping

1 10 oz package frozen strawberries or raspberries

1 can pineapple, drained

1 banana, sliced

Brown sugar

Sour cream

Mix the fruits together and put on the pancake.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and a dollop of sour cream.

Two.  Ready for a family of 8.  The kids love to see how this puffs up in the oven.

Sock-it-to-me Cake

This recipe dates back to the early days of our marriage.  I think I clipped it out of a magazine.  It is an oldie, but goodie.  

Sock-It-To-Me Cake

1 yellow cake mix (with pudding in the mix)

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

4 eggs

Filling

1 cup chopped pecans

2 T. brown sugar

1 T. cinnamon

2 T. reserved cake mix

Preheat oven to 375.  Prepare a bundt pan.  Take 2 T. of the cake mix out and put it in a small bowl.  

In a large bowl, mix together the rest of the cake ingredients.  Beat for 2 minutes.  Pour about 2/3 of the cake mixture batter into the prepared bundt pan.  Mix together the filling ingredients and sprinkle over the batter.  Then spread the remaining batter over the top.  Bake for 45-50 minutes until it passes the toothpick test.  Cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, then remove from pan onto a plate or platter.  

Mix together 1 cup powdered sugar with 2T. milk or cream to make a glaze and drizzle over the cooled cake.