Yummy New Casserole

My sweet coworker friend passed on a yummy new recipe to me the other day as she was taking me home.

I don't know what it's called.
I guess that means I get to make up a name for it.
Mexican Casserole?
Mexican Lasagna?
I'll keep working on that.

Here is the short list of ingredients:

meat
onion
salsa
can of cheddar cheese
tortillas
shredded cheese
lettuce (optional)

1. Cook the meat and add the onion.
2. Add the salsa and cheddar cheese to mix.
3. Layer the tortillas and meat mixture in a 9x13 pan. (Thus the reason I thought of Mexican Lasagna.) Start with 2 tortillas on the bottom. (It's ok if they overlap.) Add a layer of the meat mixture. Then put 2 more tortillas down. Add another layer of meat mixture. Put 2 more tortillas down. I believe I stretched mine out to 3 layers of meat. The bottom and top layers must be 2 tortillas.
I also added a tiny bit of shredded cheese to each meat layer.
4. Cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.
5. Spread shredded cheese on the top layer of tortillas.
6. Cook for another 5-10 minutes.

It is so, so delicious and so easy.
I'm a lettuce girl, so I added lettuce to the top of mine once I put it on my plate.
I think this will be another family favorite!

Team PASTA!

We were blessed this Fourth of July weekend to spend the holiday with lots of friends and family! Along with that comes fellowship - smiles, laughter, stories - good food, and fireworks. We loved having everyone over!




This week I took a baked pasta dish to our small group gathering. The recipe is large, but it is also easy to cut in half or thirds. It tastes similar to goulash.

 




Team Pasta
(serves 20 adults)



You will need:

3 lbs. ground beef
3.5 oz chopped pepperoni (optional)
3 c. chopped onion
1 chopped bell pepper
3 jars spaghetti sauce
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 small cans (drained) mushroom pieces
About 12 c. pasta (any shape, any variety)
4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

You need to:

1. Brown the ground beef, pepperoni, onion, and bell pepper in a large skillet. Drain.
2. Add spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, and mushrooms to mixture. 
3. Simmer 10 minutes.
4. Cook the pasta. Drain.
5. Combine the meat mixture and pasta in 1 large pan (12 x 20) or 3 smaller pans (9 x 13).
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 1  1/2 hours (large pan) or 45 minutes (smaller pans).
7. Top dish with mozzarella cheese 10 minutes before removing from oven.

Cheeseburger Feud

Nothing like devouring dinner together and watching Family Feud with a friend. The best part, of course, is trying to come up with the best answers (or at least answers people on the street would give) to the crazy categories given by the host.

I always have the thought that when my husband and I have a little family of our own, I want to make sure we are in the small percentage (I'm assuming) of Americans that have our meal around the kitchen table together. I don't want us to be stretched thin with the trivialities of this and that and be on the road from here to there most evenings. I want to make sure we have time to spend sharing with each other.

So, although tonight went against that 'eating at the table together' ideal, it was still great for the 3 of us to gather around the TV and enjoy a few games of Family Feud together as we feasted on a cheeseburger casserole.

I sure am enjoying the fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ! What a blessing!





Cheeseburger 
Casserole



You will need:

1/2 lb. hamburger
8 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 tbsp. dried onion
2 tbsp. ketchup
1/4 tsp. salt
cheese slices
1 can bisquits

You need to:

1. Brown the hamburger and drain.
2. Add the tomato sauce, onion, ketchup, and salt.
3. Pour mixture into baking dish.
4. Top mixture with cheese slices.
5. Top cheese slices with bisquits. 
6. Bake for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Sometimes I keep the bisquits whole and put them on top; most times I pull them apart and put the little pieces on top of cheese. I don't think it ever really takes 20 minutes to cook this dish. I take it out once the bisquits are golden brown on top, which is usually after about 15-18 minutes.

This is an easy recipe that tastes great! A family favorite. Enjoy!

I Have to Start Somewhere!

Well, here I go. I don't have any specific plans or expectations for my blog. I don't have any particular audience I'm addressing. It will probably be somewhat random as I play with it and discover my blogging niche. In the meantime, please enjoy!


Lately, I've begun to enjoy cooking a little more, especially for our church small group. You have got to love a night of good fellowship, good food, sharing, and growing in the Lord.

This is definitely one of my favorite meals to cook! It's so easy, and it's good too!

Quiche
(With Rice Crust)




You will need:

1 c white rice
1 1/2 c shredded Colby cheese
(I usually use the 'casserole' shredded cheese.)
Pinch of garlic powder
4 eggs
3/4 c milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
3-4 slices diced, cooked pork or turkey bacon
3/4 c broccoli flowerettes

You need to:

1. Cook the rice. While still warm, stir in the cheese and garlic powder.
   
2. Rub oleo (or something similar) on your hands or a spatula and spread/press rice mixture into a pie pan, forming a crust.
3. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.
   
4. Pour the mixture into the crust.
5. Cook at 350 degrees in the oven for 35 minutes (or until a knife comes out clean from the center of the pie).

(In order to fill a 9 x 13 pan, you'll need to double the recipe.)