taco stuffed pepper cups

Ingredients:

• 2 medium green peppers
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 T chopped onion
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
• 3 T taco seasoning (We use Ortega)
• sour cream (toppings)
• cheddar cheese (toppings)
• tomato (toppings)

Preparation:

1. Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds.  In a large pot, cook peppers in boiling water for 3-5 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, cook beef and onions over medium heat until cooked through; drain.  Stir in the tomato sauce and taco seasoning; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer for 5-6 minutes.
3. Spoon into peppers.  Place in an ungreased glass baking dish.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until peppers are tender.  
4. Top with sour cream, cheddar and tomatoes.

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 bacon strips
• about a 1/8 tsp onion salt (you can use chopped onions instead, if you'd like - as many as you'd like.  I am not an onion fan.)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil  
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cans Swanson's chicken broth (We use the all natural kind with no msg)
• Red potatoes, diced (add as many as you'd like. We like ours with lots of potato.)
• 1 cup whipping cream
• Tabasco to taste (We do about 4-5 drops)
• Shredded Cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1. In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Set bacon aside and keep the bacon drippings in the pan.
2. Saute onion salt and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well.
3. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. 
4. Add the potatoes to the pot and boil them for about 12 minutes.
5. Add cream and Tabasco to the pot and stir to mix.
6. Serve;  Garnish with bacon and cheese.

Slow Cook Steak Fajitas

Ingredients:

• 3-4 flank steaks
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, undrained
• 1 jalepeno pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 green peppers, sliced
• 1 T cilantro
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 3/4 cup water
• flour tortillas
• cheese
• salsa*

Preparation:

1. Add all ingredients except tortillas, cheese and salsa to slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for about 8 hours.
3. Serve on tortillas and top with cheese and salsa.

*We used homemade salsa, and it was fantastic.

Sweet and Spicy Bacon Chicken on Ciabatta

Ingredients:

• chicken breasts, thawed
• bacon (1 or 2 per piece of chicken, depending on how big it is)
• salt and pepper to taste
• brown sugar
• garlic powder
• chili powder
• olive oil
• ciabatta rolls

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Pour olive oil in glass baking dish to eliminate sticking.
3. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili powder.
4. Wrap each chicken breast with bacon and place in baking dish.
5. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for about 35-40 minutes, turning about 25 minutes through. (If the bacon isn't crispy enough, turn it to broil for a bit at the end).
7. Serve on ciabatta rolls

Recipe modified from Full Bellies, Happy Kids.

Easy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Ingredients:

• 6 medium potatoes (or more if needed), cubed
• ham (as much as you wish), diced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 T dried onion flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups milk

Preparation:

1. Boil potatoes as you would normally. 
2. Meanwhile, in 4-cup glass measure, combine butter, onion, salt and pepper.  Cook in microwave on HIGH 1 to 1-1/2 minutes or until butter is melted.  Stir in flour; gradually add milk, stir until smooth.
3. Cook in microwave on MEDIUM 6-7 minutes, or until sauce is smooth; stir twice during cooking time.  
4. In 2-quart casserole dish, alternately layer potatoes, ham, and sauce forming three layers.  Cover with plastic wrap.  
5. Cook in microwave on MEDIUM heat 14-17 minutes.  
6. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes before serving. 

taco pasta

Ingredients:

•  1 lb ground beef
• 1 pack taco seasoning (We like Ortega.)
• 1 can tomato sauce (14 oz)
• 1 lb shell macaroni, cooked and drained
• 1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
• 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1. Cook the pasta.  Meanwhile, in a skillet, brown ground beef over medium heat. Drain and add taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and green chilies. 
2. Stir in cooked macaroni. 
3. Place in a 9×13 pan. Top with cheese. 
4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through.

from Full Bellies, Happy Kids

fettuccine alfredo with bacon

Ingredients:

• 16 oz linguine
• 3 slices bacon
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 T flour
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• parsley (to garnish)
• black pepper (to garnish)

Preparation:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.
2. While pasta cooks, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings.
3. Add garlic to drippings in pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Sprinkle flour over garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly; cook 2 minutes or until bubbly and slightly thick, stirring constantly.
4. Reduce heat to low. Gradually add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.
5. Stir in salt and reserved 1/4 cup cooking liquid.
6. Add hot pasta to pan; toss well to combine.
7. Dish up, and sprinkle with bacon, parsley, and pepper.

modified from Cooking Light.

Simple Sesame Chicken

modified from Taste of Home
Ingredients

• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 T sesame seeds
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into smaller chunks
• 2 tsp butter
• 2 tsp vegetable oil

Preparation

1. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and sesame seeds. Place eggs in a third shallow bowl. 
2. Coat chicken with flour mixture, then dip in eggs and coat with crumb mixture. 
3. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken in butter and oil in batches over medium heat for until no longer pink.

Taco Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 ready made pizza crust (We used Boboli)
• 1 lb ground beef
• taco seasoning (We use Ortega)
• lettuce
• tomato, chopped
• cheddar cheese (about 3 cups, shredded)
• tortilla chips
• salsa

Preparation

1. Heat oven to temperature directed on package.
2. Cook meat with taco seasoning.  
3. Spread salsa over the crust.
4. Spoon beef mixture onto pizza crust.  Top with cheese.
5. Bake as directed on the pizza crust package or until crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
6. Top with lettuce and tomato.
7. Crush tortilla chips and sprinkle on top.
8. Drizzle with salsa.

Teriyaki Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1 can pineapple chunks (8 oz)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 green peppers, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 lb. ground beef

Sauce:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 T honey
• 2 T vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Preparation:

1. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup juice; set pineapple aside.
2. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, ginger, salt and reserved pineapple juice. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls. 
3. Mix the sauce ingredients together.  Place 2 tablespoons of sauce in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Add meatballs, peppers and onions. Pour remaining sauce over meatballs.
4. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. 
5. Top with pineapple chunks.

Save the juice from canned pineapple by pouring into ice cube trays and freezing. When solid, transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. When a recipe calls for 1 to 2 tablespoons of pineapple juice, thaw 1-2 cubes and use as directed.

We served this meal over some whole grain couscous.

Asian Chicken Wraps

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into small pieces
• 2/3 cup General Tso's sauce
• 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
• 4 10" flour tortillas
• romaine
• 1/2 cup carrot, peeled and shredded
• chow mein

Preparation:

1. Combine chicken and sauces in a skillet.  Warm over medium heat; set aside.
2. Divide ingredients evenly on each tortilla, beginning with the romaine, carrots, chicken, and ending with the chow mein.
3. Roll up burrito style.

adapted from Gooseberry Patch: Speedy Suppers

Pepperoni Bread

Ingredients:

• pizza dough
• butter (about 1/4 cup)
• Italian seasoning
• garlic salt
• pepperoni
• mozzarella cheese (about 3 cups)

Preparation:

1. Prepare the bread dough and roll into a rectangle.
2. Melt butter and spread over the dough; Sprinkle with some garlic salt and Italian seasoning.
3. Cover the dough with pepperoni.
4. Sprinkle cheese over the pepperoni.
5. Roll into a log and pinch the ends together to close.
6. Spread more of the butter, garlic salt and Italian seasoning over the top.
7. Bake for 18 minutes at 400 degrees.
8. Let the pepperoni bread cool for about 5 minutes before cutting into slices.

Philly Cheesesteak Pizza

Ingredients:
-pizza dough
-steak (however much you like)
-green pepper (1 or 2, depending on how you like it)
-sweet onion (however much you like.  I'm not a big onion fan, so we maybe use a quarter of 1)
-mozzarella cheese (about a pack and a half)
-Worcestershire sauce (2 T)
-Italian seasoning (1/4 tsp.)
-Classico alfredo sauce (maybe 1/4 cup?)

Directions:

1. Prepare pizza dough.
2. Cook steak and cut into small pieces.
3. Marinate steak in Worcestershire sauce and Italian seasoning for about 15 minutes, turning once.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. Cook peppers and onion in a little vegetable oil.
6. Add steak to the pepper and onion mixture.
7. Spread the dough evenly onto a pizza pan.
8. Spread alfredo sauce over pizza dough.
9. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the sauce to cover.
10. Spread steak, pepper and onion mixture over the cheese.
11. Sprinkle with some more cheese.
12. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.