Tater Tot Casserole

  I think everyone might have a recipe for Tater Tot Casserole, but I had to blog it anyhow.  I didn’t grow up eating this, so it’s still a novelty food at our house.   I got this recipe from …

Orange Cilantro Glazed Salmon

 

Welcome to Flashback Friday!  

I picked a yummy Fish Recipe for you that are giving up meat for Lent…..

But since we are talking about fish, check out Destiny’s Flying Fish Project for school.  🙂  

  I learned so much while we researched for her report! Did you know the Flying Fishes tail moves 70 times per SECOND?  This allows it to appear to “fly” across the water, sometimes as far as 1200 feet before going back under.  Our Creator is SO creative! 🙂

 Now for some fish you can sink your teeth into…..

click recipe title to be taken to Tasty Kitchen

Hugs, T

Tuna Bunwich

Before you say, EW!!! Or YUCK, I don’t like Tuna! I want you to hear me out, it’s not my favorite either.  However, once in a GREAT while, I get hungry for a nice hot, cheesy Tuna Bunwich. My friends from High School used to LOVE when my mom made us these for after school snack.  Flaky tuna, crunchy celery and melty cheese. Just delicious!

  This recipe makes a LOT.  Feel free to half it for your first go around.  We kept the goo separate from the buns on the extra sandwiches, so I could make them up fresh all week for an easy hot lunch!

{Click title for easy printable}

Ingredients

• 3 cans Tuna Packed In Water, Drained (7 Oz Each)
• 9 ounces, weight Velveeta Cheese, Cut Into Small Cubes
• 1 cup Finely Diced Celery
• 1 whole Small Onion, Minced
• ½ cups Miracle Whip
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 package Of Whole Wheat Rolls, 16 Count Package

Mix all ingredients (except the buns) together in a large bowl. Lay your buns out on a work surface with the tops removed. Divide filling between the buns placing an equal sized amount on the bottom buns (roughly 1/4 cup per bun). Put the top bun on. Wrap individually in foil and bake at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes until hot and the cheese has a chance to melt.

These can be baked all at once, or wrapped up individually and put in the fridge to heat and eat anytime!

Easy and delish!

~T

Not Your Lunch Lady’s Goulash

Dale grew up eating Goulash. I did NOT.

I have never, EVER made it and never, ever wanted to.

This is most likely due to the fact, that my last memory of Goulash comes from Elementary School Lunches, where I dubbed it “Galoshes,” (the boot) because I thought it was gross and stinky.

Boy, has my opinion changed!

This recipe caught my eye at Weekend Potluck when Jamie from Love Bakes Good Cakes shared it at our linky party.  I am SO glad I printed it, because it is TOTALLY making the fall and winter food rotation at our house!

YUMMO!

This is…..

{click title to print}

Adapted from Love Bakes Good Cakes recipe

2 lb. ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

6-8 cloves of garlic, pressed

3 cups water (I do beef broth for more flavor)

1 can (29 oz.) tomato sauce

1 can (28 oz.) seasoned diced tomatoes, undrained

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. smoky paprika

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or less if you don’t like spice)

3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni 

Generous amounts of garlic powder, salt and pepper.

In an 8 qt. pot, cook and crumble beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Add the onion, green pepper and mushrooms. Cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, water, tomato sauce, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, paprika, sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add the elbow macaroni and stir well, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the noodles are done. Allow to sit covered for 5-10 minutes and mix well before serving.  Season to taste with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Serve with whole wheat bread and butter.

We really seasoned this up, and it was fantastic!

Dig in!

~T

Chicken A La King

  Now here is a blast from the past, my mom made this one a lot when we were kids!  It’s a win win, because the noodles are long and slurpy and fun, and the veggies are healthy and colorful, too!

  I double this for our family of 6, so we can have lunch leftovers.  If you double it, only do 13 oz. of your noodles.  16 ounces is too many and it gets dry! 

(click for easy printable)

Ingredients

• ¼ cups Butter
• ½ cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoons Pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sautéed in butter
• 2  cup Chicken Broth
• 8 ounces, weight Spaghetti Noodles,  Cooked And Drained
• 2 cups Cubed, Seasoned Chicken
• 2 cups Cream (I’ve Done A Combo Of Milk And Sour Cream In A Bind)
• 12 ounces, weight frozen Carrots, Peas And Beans Combo, Steamed And Seasoned To Taste

In a large family skillet, cook and cube your chicken. Remove from pan and leave drippings. In the same pan, melt butter, blend in flour and salt and pepper until liquid is absorbed. Add in chicken broth, cream and mushroom liquid, heat to boiling, then turn down heat a bit, stirring often. Continue stirring as it thickens. This takes some time. (If it doesn’t work, take a splash of cold water and blend with a Tablespoon of corn starch, add to your skillet of liquid and bring to a boil, stirring often. This will help thicken quickly.)
Meanwhile, cook and drain your spaghetti noodles and steam your veggies. Cook mushrooms in butter in a small skillet.
Check your roux (butter, cream, broth, flour mixture) as it should be thick now like a gravy, before adding in cubed chicken, steamed veggies, sautéed mushrooms and cooked and drained spaghetti noodles.  Taste and season as needed.

Enjoy!

~T

Birthday Cheesecakes

This is post 2 for today, head back to post one to read about my Encounter Weekend and teaching on Forgiveness.

These are the perfect mini treat for your birthday sweet!

adapted from Laughter & Lattes

(click for easy printable)

Ingredients

FOR THE CHEESECAKES:

• 24 whole Golden Oreos, I Used Double Stuffed!
• 16 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Softened
• ½ cups Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Vanilla
• 2 whole Eggs Beaten
• ½ cups Sour Cream
• ⅔ cups Dry Rainbow Chip Cake Mix
• 1 Tablespoon Sprinkles (plus More For Top)

FOR THE FROSTING:

• 4 ounces, weight Cool Whip , Thawed
• ½ cups Milk (plus More As Necessary)
• ¼ cups Powdered Sugar
• ½ boxes (3.4 Oz Size) Vanilla Pudding

Using your Kitchen aid, combine softened cream cheese and sugar, beating until smooth. Add in vanilla, eggs and sour cream. Do not over mix.
Measure out cake mix and sprinkles, fold in to batter.

Line 2 muffin pans with liners. Place a whole Golden Oreo in the bottom of each liner. Divide cheesecake batter between muffin liners.
Bake at 275* for 30 minutes. Remove cheesecakes from oven, and cool on the counter for a bit, then refrigerate until serving time.

Make your frosting by combining cool whip, milk, powdered sugar and vanilla pudding, adding more sugar or milk until a nice frosting consistency. Pipe onto individual cheesecakes and sprinkle with additional sprinkles!

Enjoy!

Farmhouse Strawberry Pie

When I found this over at my friend Brandie’s site, The Country Cook, I knew I HAD to try it.  She has so many fantastic recipes, head over to her site sometime, you won’t be disappointed.

  Dale goes on and on and ON about his Grandma’s Strawberry Pie. I’ve tasted it many times, and he is right, it is worth raving over!

I was hoping Brandie’s pie would be close, so I gave it a go.

And……………………

[Drum roll please]

Dale says this pie tastes JUST like Grandma’s!!!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Brandie, that is a REAL compliment!) 🙂

Even if you are not a pie baker, you can handle this one, it’s super simple. And, if you are ready to conquer your fear of Pie crusts, you can make my Easy Push Crust to go with it. It’s super easy, and you CAN do it!

Easy Push Crust

Ingredients

• 2 cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Chilled Butter-flavored Crisco
• ⅓ cups Cold Water
• 1 Tablespoon Milk, For Basting

Combine flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut the Crisco shortening into the flour. Sprinkle the mixture with the water. Form dough into a ball, then divide it in 2. Flatten each half to fit your pie pans and use your fingers to push the crust to cover the bottom and up the sides of both pans. Baste with a bit of milk before baking.  You may prick this crust with a fork, but do not go all the way through, or the strawberry glaze will get under the crust and make it soggy.

If you need to do a par-baked crust, like for a Custard pie or Peach Crumble (things with runny liquids), I’d do 425F for 6 minutes, just to give yourself a nice, non-soggy crust. Otherwise, for recipes like this one, or pudding filled, bake at 425F for 15 minutes, cool and then follow your own pudding filled or fruit glaze pie recipe.

Makes 2 crusts.

Farmhouse Strawberry Pie

from the Country Cook

Ingredients

• 1 whole Pie Shell (Or 1 crust from the above recipe)
• 1 cup Water
• 1 cup Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• ¼ scant cup Strawberry Jello Powder
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
• 1 pint Fresh Strawberries, Hulled And Quartered Or Sliced

Bake Pie Crust per recipe directions, being careful not to prick clear through the crust. Cool.

Wash, hull and quarter or slice strawberries, per your preference.
In a saucepan over medium heat, blend water, sugar, cornstarch, strawberry jello powder and lemon juice. Whisk well until combined, stirring constantly so it doesn’t clump. Keep this up until mixture begins to thicken nicely. {It feels like it takes a long time, but keep at it!} Remove from heat when nice and thickened.
Add your quartered strawberries to your now cool pie crust, and pour strawberry glaze over them. It should be thick, but still pourable at this point.

  Chill pie until serving time. Serve with a dollop of extra creamy Cool Whip for a fresh and yummy treat!

   Bring out your inner Betty Crocker, and try your hand at making this pie!

~T

Coconut Cream Poke Cake

This is post 2 for today, be sure to scroll down to post one to meet sweet 2 year old, Miles! 

I teasingly call my friend Brandie, from over at The Country Cook, “The Poke Cake Queen”. That girl has more delicious poke cakes on here site!  I’ve got my eye on her Boston Cream Poke Cake next, mmmm!

  I am a sucker for Coconut or anything Pina Colada-ish, so I knew I had to make this right away!  I had everything on hand but the Cream of Coconut naturally, so sweet Dale stopped at the store for me on his way home from work!

by The Country Cook (tell Brandie Tonya says HI!)  🙂

Ingredients

• 1 box Cake Mix: White Or Golden Yellow
• Ingredients Listed On Cake Box: Usually Eggs, Oil And Water
• 15 ounces, fluid Can Of Cream Of Coconut (found In The Alcohol Aisle)
• 8 ounces, weight Cool Whip , Thawed
• 8 ounces, weight Sweetened, Flaked Coconut

Prepare and bake cake according to directions in a 9 x 13 pan. Remove cake from oven and while still hot, poke holes all over it with the end of a spoon.
Open your can of Cream of Coconut and stir well, pour evenly over entire cake. Chill cake for an hour, then spread with cool whip and sprinkle coconut over the top of all. Refrigerate until serving time for a minimum of 3 hours. It gets even BETTER, if you can wait overnight!

Dig in!

~T

Florida Bound & BLT Chicken Salad with Homemade Dressing

  Guess what?! I get to go to Florida and meet my preemie miracle identical twin nephews, Colby and Brayden!  Brayden is home already, but please pray Colby can come home while I am there so I can be the most help to Chad and Lauren!  He is still having a bit of trouble and hasn’t been released yet.  God is so good to have blessed my brother and sis in law with such healthy baby boys. The NICU nurses said it was such a nice change to take care of healthy babies that just happened to be early.  (They were born at 32 weeks on Mother’s Day!)

  I  can’t wait to get my hands on the little Monkeys!  Pray I will be ok without my own little ones though, this will be the first time and the longest time I have ever been away from them.  Makes my heart hurt just THINKING about it!

 Oh and while you are praying anyhow, say a prayer for Dale.  He does such a great job managing the kids, the house and the cooking, but let’s all pray he has an extra great week with extra obedient kiddos! 🙂

  Anyhow, on to the food part of this post.  You how there are just some recipes that HAVE to be made year after year during a certain season?  We have a collection of salads we make each and every summer, despite my love of new recipes!  🙂   This, is one of them……

BLT Chicken Salad with Homemade Dressing

click title for easy printable

FOR THE SALAD:

• 10 cups Torn Leaf Lettuce (more Or Less Per Your Taste And Crowd Size)
• 10 ounces, weight Grape Tomatoes, Halved
• 8 whole Hard-boiled Eggs, Sliced
• 12 strips Of Bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 4 whole Grilled Chicken Breasts, Sliced

FOR THE DRESSING:

• 1 cup Miracle Whip Or Mayonnaise
• 8 Tablespoons Of Your Favorite BBQ Sauce
• 4 Tablespoons Very Finely Chopped Onion
• 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper

Make dressing ahead of time and chill. Mix salad ingredients per the proportions you want, based on your crowd size, and top individual salads with dressing before serving.

Enjoy!

  I’ll tell you all about my trip when I get back home!!!!!!!!

~T

Mexican Chicken Salad Wraps

This Mexican Chicken Salad is awesome! I could totally see me making it every summer for an easy “go-to” supper, after a day at the pool.  It was delicious the first night, served warm AND just as good the next day cold from the fridge!!!!!

Mexican Chicken Salad

(For Wraps or Chips)

Ingredients

• 8 whole Chicken Breast Strips, Cooked And Shredded
• 4 ounces, weight Mexican Cheese
• 1 can (16 Oz. Can) Mexican Beans With Chili Sauce, Partially Drained
• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Red Bell Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Green Bell Pepper
• 4 ounces, weight Green Chilies
• 1 package (about 1 Oz. Packet) Taco Seasoning
• ½ cups Sour Cream
• ½ cups Mayonnaise
• Sliced Olives And Tomatoes To Taste.
• For Serving: Tortilla Chips, Whole Wheat Tortillas

Mix all ingredients together and serve with chips or tortillas. Simple and delicious!

We served this in bowls, as pictured, and dipped chips into the chicken salad.  It tasted great with guacamole and salsa on the side as well.

~T